Civilized

Our countries’ lifestyle of wanting cheap goods, but strict environmental and labor standards has come at a price. We have been a major contributer to the smog problem facing the Olympics. We made policies, we passed laws and we pushed the factories halfway around the world so we wouldn’t see the environmental impacts. Out of site, out of mind… until now. Now we are sending the worlds greatest athletes to the “out of sight, out of mind” place.

While much of the major media outlets are loving this chance to complain about it being China’s problem, I’d like to take a moment and thank our government policies for working so well. The laws and regulations have worked to protect us from experiencing a dirty and polluted environment, by moving it far away and encouraging cheap imports. Oh wait, those our our citizens visiting that place we pushed all the filth to?

Doh!
Karma sucks. 

Solution you ask? “American Made” will comes at a new price: not cheap. Quality goods made in factories with a strong respect for the environment and labor won’t be found in China. Said factories will equate to higher costs for the goods to be produced. If we decided to start paying, then we will see a change that we can actually believe in. Yes, thats right a “change.” (I’m not the only one who can talk about change.)

Otherwise cheap goods will lead to more crazy rules from governments as global warming climate change is on everyone’s mind. Who would want to live under such strong and confusing rules about when you can just drive your automobile? Especially when the pollution at this point is mostly coming from factories, not automobiles. Citizens of China are paying for the price of factories to produce our cheap crap - and now we are too.

“The plan unveiled Thursday is not so severe; it maintains the odd-even restrictions but adds a new prohibition that bans driving on days that match the last number on a motorist’s license plate. (Anyone with a plate ending in 9 could not drive on Aug. 9 or Aug. 19, while other motorists with odd-numbered plates could still do so.) “ 

So my recent endeavors of loaning myself out at all hours of the day have started to take a toll… power naps are becoming sleep. While I have alot I’d like to comment on the subject of the Earth’s natural warming period, I think I’ll just hand my thoughts off to Braden for the day. Check out his blog here.

Damn That Man Made Global Warming! - Part XI

I told you, again, and again, and again, and again.  I told this global warming climate change bullshit was nothing more than an excuse for those with political power and influence to gain even more political power and money.  That’s all this global warming climate change fabrication is about.  Nothing more, nothing less. From seattlepi.com:     

Even with the skies overcast and threatening rain, Khang Nguyen, 18, and Joel Juan, 19, kicked back after school at Alki Beach.

“It’s just a relaxing way to hang out with friends,” Nguyen said of the bonfire crackling in front of them one evening earlier this week.

But Seattle Parks and Recreation might do what even this week’s chilly weather couldn’t — douse the long tradition of beach bonfires at Alki and at Golden Gardens.

Park department staff is recommending reducing bonfires at the two beaches this summer and possibly banning them altogether next year.

The park board will hear the recommendation Thursday, and the city plans to run public-service announcements and hand out brochures later this month about the effects of bonfires on global warming.

According to a memo to the park board from the staff released Thursday, “The overall policy question for the Board is whether it is good policy for Seattle Parks to continue public beach fires when the carbon … emissions produced by thousands of beach fires per year contributes to global warming.”

Under the proposal, the department in July would reduce the number of fire rings at Alki from six currently to three and at Golden Gardens from 12 to seven.

Then later this year, the department would consider banning bonfires or requiring fees and permits to reduce the number of bonfires next year.

It’s the second time in the past few years the tradition of lounging by a fire at the beach has run up against the environmental ramifications of bonfire smoke.

Parks and Recreation recommended banning the fires in 2004, after a violation notice from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to the city after someone set a couch on fire at Alki Beach. However, 1,200 people signed a petition to save Alki’s bonfires, and 100 others signed a petition to save the ones at Golden Garden.

Instead, park staff said the department should do more to regulate what people burn and make sure the fires are out by 11:30 p.m.

“I think people still feel the same way (about preserving bonfires),” said Larry Carpenter, treasurer of the Alki Community Council. “Old-timers see bonfires as a tradition that they did as children and growing up. It’s a nostalgia thing.”

At Alki on Wednesday night, Linda Garcia, a 56-year- old West Seattle resident, walked her dog and made a slightly rose-colored argument for preserving her beloved bonfires. “It’s so windy around here it probably doesn’t pollute that much.

“They have to try to take everything away,” she said.

Sara Russell, 34, who also was walking her dog, rolled her eyes at the idea of banning bonfires to stave off global warming.

“If they really wanted to do something, they could enforce the no-cruising law, because in the summer you see so many cars cruising around here,” she said.

Russell’s neighbor, Debbie Nichols, said that last July Fourth, she got up at 5:30 a.m. to grab one of the fire pits. “I wrapped myself in a blanket and sat there all day,” Nichols said. “We use the fire pits all year round.”

Since the park board last heard the issue, the department assigned more staff to the two sites. The number of fires using illegal materials has dropped by two-thirds, according to the park memo.

The memo also noted that restrictions could cause illegal fires and fights over the limited number of fire pits. Charging fees to use the pits could disproportionately bar youths and low-income people from having bonfires, the report said.

But Mayor Greg Nickels’ plan to reduce climate-threatening pollutants “begs the question of whether Seattle Parks is acting responsibly … to systematically reduce controllable contributions to global warming,” the memo said.

“I can certainly understand it. (Global warming) is a legitimate concern,” said Robert Drucker, vice president of the Sunset Hill Community Association.

Still, he said of the bonfires at Golden Gardens: “It’s a long-standing tradition. I think people would be upset to see it go.”

But at Alki, Nguyen said he’d be OK with banning bonfires.

“By all means, I’d rather not have bonfires than have global warming,” he said.

As a sliver of silvery sky shrank under the growing clouds, Nguyen played a guitar, and maybe for the last year, the flames licked the salt air.

So now beach bonfires can cause global warming climate change?  I am so sick and tired of hearing about things contributing to/causing global warming climate change; and while I’m at it, I am also disgusted with hearing about greenhouse gas emissions.

Once again, why are we all told and expected to change our lifestyle when there are people like John Travolta andLeonardo DiCaprio among the countless others who have no problem being chauffeured around in their fancy fuel hungry jetliners, not to mention riding around in their gas guzzling limousines?   Any of you global warming climate change pushing Hollywood zealots have anything to say about that?  Of course you don’t.  After all, you all are better than the rest of us and that includes you, Al Gore.

If all of you global warming climate change disciples are so steadfast in your beliefs, then why not set the ultimate example?  I’ll say it again:  It’s time for you people to give up your house, jet planes, movies/DVDs, all electronics, and everything else possibly linked to oil and fossil fuels. I have had enough of each and every single one of you.  Either set the mother of all examples, or shut your freaking mouths.

Un-freaking-believable, isn’t it?  These global warming climate change fanatics will stop at absolutely nothing until they control every aspect of your life; and they will use the excuse of global warming climate change to accomplish it.

And finally, here’s the real kicker:  You haven’t seen anything yet.  Think I’m crazy?  You just sit back and watch.

Oh, and by the way … I told you so. 
-Braden   

Cheers Braden

So a red river is what is brought on by our version of ‘civilized’?