The purpose of the video was to publicize the dangers of drilling for natural gas, also known as fracking. The song highlights that fracking was made exempt from complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act by the Bush Administration and remains unregulated. Hazardous chemicals such as benzine and formaldehyde, among a number of secret chemicals considered “trade secrets”, are pumped into the ground to help release the natural gas from rock. These chemicals remain in the ground and can seep into water supplies.

The chorus features the lyric “I think my water’s on fire tonight”, referring to the HBO Documentary Gasland that showed resident’s near fracking wells had such polluted tap water that the water would set on fire if an open flame were held to the faucet. The EPA has began looking into the environmental impacts of fracking and recently released a report stating that hydraulic fracturing was probably to blame for well water contamination in Wyoming.

Check out the video below:

Read more about fracking from our previous article here.

References:

Some may be discouraged by olive oil, since it is a high fat product. However, not all fats are created equal. There are three major forms of dietary fat: saturated (animals), polyunsaturated (plants, seeds, nuts, vegetable oils), and monounsaturated (olive oil). All olive oils are generally made the same: 80% monounsaturated fat, 14% saturated and 9% polyunsaturated. The high percentage of monounsaturated fat is what helps lower ones risk for heart disease by improving related risk factors. For instance, monounsaturated fats help lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. They can also normalize blood clotting, benefit insulin levels and help control blood sugar levels, which can be helpful for those who suffer with type 2 diabetes. In the United States, producers of olive oil may place the following health claim on product labels:

Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 g) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the number of calories you eat in a day.

This labeling decision was announced on November 1, 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The monounsaturated fat content is not the only component that gives olive oil its healthy reputation; Olive oil also contains a variety of polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants that provide a cardio-protective effect. The key polyphenol present is hydroxytyrosol, which helps protect the cells that line our blood vessels from being damaged by overly reactive oxygen molecules. In other words, the genetic changes caused by hydroxytyrosol help the blood vessels maintain strong cell walls and enhance their antioxidant defense system. There can be up to 5 mg of polyphenols in 10 grams of olive oil; however this amount varies based on a number of factors. For instance, the time of picking, environmental factors, extraction conditions, storage conditions and refining all have an effect on the level of polyphenols. In particular, oil made from green, unripe olives has more polyphenols and processing techniques such as heating, adding water, or filtering can result in a loss of these beneficial components. Storage in the appropriate container and place is important in preserving the polyphenols. As oil sits in the bottle, the polyphenols will slowly be oxidized and used up. Oils stored in stainless steel containers or dark glass bottles, in a cool place, are better protected against this oxidation.

Another important antioxidant that is found in olive oil is vitamin E. In fact, just one tablespoon can provide 8% of the daily recommendation for vitamin E. Not only does it assist in the protection against heart disease by preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol, but it also serves as a natural preservative, preventing the olive oil from going rancid.

Even though olive oil provides a variety of health benefits, it is important to remember that it is a high calorie food, providing 126 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, it should be used in moderation and to replace more unhealthful foods like butter and margarine, which contain saturated fat. Remember, just two tablespoons can provide the heart healthy effects.

References 

“Chemical Characteristics.” The Olive Oil Source | Everything but the Olive. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. <http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/chemical-characteristics#Vitamins>. 

“Olive oil.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil>. 

“Olive oil: What are the health benefits.” Mayo Clinic.Web. 10 Aug. 2011. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037>. 

“WHFoods: Olive oil, extra virgin.” The World’s Healthiest Foods. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. <http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132>. 

John Muir called himself a “poetico-trampo-geologist-bot” and it’s likely to remain the best description of preservation’s most popular poster child. He was a Kerouac or McCandless, with a scholarly command kept in check by his whimsical humor and self-prescribed duty to share the wilderness with the world. And of equal marvel, his beard remains a silent bond and dream to any man whose pores have touched cold mountain water.

This is his legend:

In 1867, Muir traveled 1,000 miles from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico, after dropping out of Wisconsin University after two and half years. “I was only leaving one university for another, the University of Wisconsin for the University of the Wilderness,” said Muir. From the Gulf he sailed north to San Francisco, wandered into the city, and allegedly asked the first person he saw how to get out of town.  The man asked where Muir was going. “Anywhere wild,” he said.

In that headstrong fashion, he continued to tramp through the wilderness and in 1868 followed an eastern trail to the Sierra Nevada, through a “window opening into heaven, reflecting the creator,” which most of us know as the pristine Yosemite Valley.

But the influence he cultivated in the Yosemite Valley almost languished as an unrealized ghost. It’s likely he would have continued his life as a man who invented an archaic alarm clock or automatic book-page turner, a man tied to economic and industrial excitement of the late eighteen-hundreds, if it weren’t for an accident at an Indianapolis carriage factory blinded him for nearly a month.

“God has to nearly kill us sometimes to teach us lessons,” he said, and from then on coveted the wilderness, “determined to devote the rest of life to the study of all the inventions of God.”

In 1871, Muir invited Ralph Waldo Emerson to join him “in a month’s worship with Nature in the high temples of the great Sierra Crown beyond our holy Yosemite.” Much of the philosophy Muir championed was actually born out of Emerson and the transcendentalists. But all hopes of the philosophical camping trip of the millennium were extinguished when Emerson and his grey-haired traveling companions declined the invite. The wilderness can be “a sublime mistress, but an intolerable wife,” warned Emerson, and he countered Muir with an opportunity live in Massachusetts as a permanent guest. Muir refused and marked the incident as “a sad commentary on culture and the glorious transcendentalism,” and later reduced Emerson’s famous Walden retreat as a “mere saunter” from Concord and scoffed the philosopher for “seeing forests in orchards and patches of huckleberry brush.”

Muir’s first summer in the Sierra he spent as a goat herder, and during the period he noticed “hoofed locust” moving into the High Sierra and saw the damaging effects of overgrazing.

To combat the problem, he wrote “God’s First Temples: How Shall we Preserve our Forests,” and spearheaded his first unsuccessful effort to establish a national park in the Southern Sierra in 1876.

While the effort died in the Senate, Muir attracted the nation’s leading literary monthly, Century, and its editor Robert Underworld Johnson.

When I took this position at Modern Serenity, it was hashed out over electronic contracts and email. Johnson and Muir settled their agreement around a campfire near the Tuolumne River.

“What had become of the luxuriant meadows and wildflowers that had supposedly existed in the mountains?” Asked Johnson.

Muir explained the sheep and overgrazing and Johnson’s said, “Obviously, the thing to do is to make Yosemite a national park.”

Subsequently, Johnson offered Muir an opportunity to publicly argue for a 1,500 square-mile Yosemite National Park, and Muir agreed to write two articles, The Treasure of the Yosemite and Features of the Proposed National Park. Muir’s illustrative pieces argued for the valley preservation for its environmental service as a critical watershed, but more importantly as “a noble mark for the lover of wilderness, pure and simple.”

Johnson became Muir’s strongest advocate at the time, lobbying to the House of Representative for the creation of Yosemite National Park. The bill passed quietly on September 30^th, 1890, bolstered not only by Muir’s steadfast belief in transcendental value of wilderness, but also the interest of South Pacific Railroad – who anticipated the value of the park as a popular tourist site.

But just as corporate interest helped establish Yosemite Valley as a national park, it also led to its partial destruction, as energy and water interests veiled as public utilitarian services flooded Hetch-Hetchy valley, situated within the national park, in order to meet the needs of San Francisco’s growing population.

During the debate Johnson publicly expressed the popular sentiments of preservationists: they didn’t want to deny San Francisco a water resource. Their point, as Scholar Roderick Nash points out in Wilderness and the American Mind, is that “of course civilization must have its due, they conceded, but in this case other sources of water were available.”

“These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the Mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar,” said Muir.

Today, as California state parks are being closed and policy makers pin price tags to Muir’s oldest stomping grounds, it’s important to rekindle passion that belonged to a man the 1912 American Review called “the most magnificent enthusiast about nature in the United States, the most rapt of all prophets of our out-of-door gospel.”

References

John Muir: A Brief Biography. The Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit.

Solyndra filed a pre-application for the government loan in 2006, in accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which secured roughly 10 billion dollars in tax incentives and loan guarantees for green-technology companies. In 2007, the Department of Energy invited the company to submit a full loan application, and in 2009, Solyndra received conditional government commitment for the $535 million loan.

According to bankruptcy documents, the money was used to fund a second fabrication facility. The total cost for the facility was $753 million and the company secured private investment to secure the difference.

After securing the loan both President Obama and Vice President Biden championed the company as the “true engine of economic growth.”

Earlier this month a republican led comittee released emails that suggest the government was warned about the risk associated with Solyndra.

One email, dated March 10, 2009, states the deal “is not ready for primetime,” citing the fact that the company still needed to raise 200 million dollars in private equity and that there are “serious issues with the DOE subsidy cost model which we need to address very quickly.”

To raise that private equity, Solyndra filed a Form S-1 with the United States Security and Exchange Commission on March 16th 2010, a process that could have resulted in more private investors for the company. However, some audits suggest the company was not ready to go public, and Solyndra pulled its application June 18th, 2010, due to “adverse market conditions.”

According to the original S-1 application, Solyndra started shipping their photovoltaic systems in July 2008  and increased their revenue through the date the S-1 was filed, March 16th 2010. But the S-1 also reports Solyndra’s economic woes, stating, “we had an accumulated deficit of 557.7 million at January 2, 2010.”

A major private investor was the George Kaiser Foundation who owns 35.7% of Solyndra. The foundation is also responsible for donating $50,000 to $100,000 to Barack Obama’s president campaign in 2008. Kaiser donated $2,300 personally.

White house visitor logs indicate Kaiser visited Obama aids several times since 2007. His first meeting was March 12th, when he met with Austan Goolsbee, Senior Economic Adviser to Obama, and Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Assistant to Obama for Domestic Policy. On March 13th Kaiser met with Jason Furman, member of Obama’s National Economic Council.

An email statement released by the Kaiser Foundation on September 1st stated, “Kaiser is not an investor in Solyndra and did not participate in any discussion with the US government  regarding the loan.” Kaiser, Goolsbee or Higginbottom were not contacted before the time of publication.

House members Henry Waxman of California and Diane DeGette of Colorado said Brian Harrison, Solyndra Chief Executive Officer, reported three months ago that the company was fiscally sound.

“He did not convey to us the perilous condition of the company, and the committee should know why,” wrote Waxman and DeGette in a letter to Cliff Sterns, the Florida Republican who heads the House Energy and Commerce Committee oversight panel.

“Regulatory and policy uncertainties in recent months created significant near-term excess supply and price erosion,” said Harrison in a statement on the company website. “Rasing incremental capital in this environment was not possible.”

Now, Solyndra, who specializes in light-weight rooftop solar panels, has a four-week period to sell the company or begin liquidation. “The debtors intend to pursue all potential turnkey buyers, specifically interested parties in both the US and overseas,” stated the bankruptcy document. “The debtors believe that this process would yield a far greater return to the debtors creditors than a piece-meal liquidation.”

On August 31^st, Solyndra terminated 900 full time employees, leaving 113 core employees. Gross bi-weekly payroll was cut from $3.5 million to $650,000 dollars. Terminations were executed without warning employees.

Solyndra still has several accounts open with Wells Fargo bank and said disruption of these accounts would harm both current business operations as well as “a sale of their assets for the benefit of the creditors.”

On September 8th, the same day as the FBI raid on Solyndra, solar company 1366 Technologies Inc. secured 150 million dollars from the government.

“Every project that receives financing through the Energy Department goes through a rigorous financial, legal and technical review process,” White House spokesperson Eric Schultz said.

It is important to note that despite the Solyndra scandal, the Department of Energy’s renewable energy loan guarantee program has had many more successes than failures. It plays an important role in expanding renewable energy in the US and helps move solar, wind, geothermal, etc. towards economies of scale where they will be able to compete with traditional energy sources. We will cover some of the program’s successes in upcoming pieces.

A paper written by Burrell E. Montz of Binghamton University’s Department of Geology and Environmental Studies delineates some of the many environmental hazards posed by flooding.  Much of the risk involves contamination, which can range from less serious, accidental contamination by household products that leak into the water systems to more serious contamination of human water sources or plant and animal ecosystems.  It is easy to imagine how these ecosystems can be completely destroyed by rapid, overwhelming flooding, seriously endangering the species that inhabit them.  On a personal note, my current town has been reeling from flooding ever since Irene hit, and one of the many ramifications is that the town’s water has been deemed unsafe and all residents are being told to drink bottled water.  I can only imagine the carbon footprint created by my town’s bottled water consumption, let alone that of all the similarly affected towns across the east coast.

A number of factors can influence the severity of the environmental threat posed by flooding. Montz reports that “depth of water, velocity of flows, and duration of inundation, in combination with land-use attributes” can all impact the environmental damage posed.  It makes sense of course that areas with faster and greater volumes of water would take the greatest hit, but we may not immediately think that areas intended for specific purposes may be more prone to environmental damage.  For example, farmland would be in great danger because vast acres of cleared land are left without the protection that trees can provide.  The devastation would be magnified in farm areas where pesticides or other chemicals are used, since they would be flooded into water systems at high rates.

Of course, there are ways in which we can adequately prepare and therefore lessen the potential for serious environmental harm.  Sandbagging can reduce the risk of flooding in certain areas, which would obviously decrease the risk of secondary environmental effects.  Montz also recommends being mindful of all household chemicals and potentially hazardous materials beforehand, as to avoid letting them be washed into the flood waters.  Residents should also severely limit water use in their homes during the heavy rains that lead to flooding, because town water waste and treatment facilities are likely so overburdened that household use just compounds the threat of flooding.

Regions across the country are now being reminded that preparedness can save resources, human lives, and environmental integrity.  Unfortunately, natural disasters like floods often remind individuals and communities of the costs associated with some of our current ways of life.  In one such instance, a town in Pennsylvania is suffering after a different generation, forty years prior, decided to forego the protection of extra levees in favor of picturesque river views (New York Times).  Reflection on the environmental implications to the whole region adds yet another dimension of consideration for communities weighing similar options.

Floods can be ruinous, and portions of our country may be victimized by flooding as an unavoidable result of severe weather patterns.  However, it is important to know how you can minimize damage to your family, property, and even natural environment.  Whether or not you have been lucky enough to escape Irene’s and Lee’s wraths, please take a moment to consider your flood preparedness plan.  The state of New York’s Department of Health has a thorough online reference to help you prepare for floods, and other states across the country have comparable resources immediately available.  A little consideration and forethought may go a long way in protecting your home and community.

New York Department of Health’s Flood Preparedness Guide:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/emergency/flood/

Works Cited

“Flood Preparedness.” New York State Department of Health. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. <http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/emergency/flood/>.

Montz, Burrell E. “Quick Response Report #93 – The Environmental Impacts of Flooding in St. Maries, Idaho.” University of Colorado Boulder. 7 Feb. 1997. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. <http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/research/qr/qr93/qr93.html>.

Saulny, Susan. “A Choice Made Decades Ago Comes Back to Haunt a Town.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/us/12flood.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=levee%20or%20view&st=cse>.

Little has been reported by mainstream media about “Occupy Wall Street” because of varied excuses. Some cite the lack of a unified message on the part of the protestors as the reason, another, that the protest is drawing small numbers, and there’s also the thought that Corporate America could threaten larger Media outlets with decreased advertising spending.

Occupy Wall Street began on Sept. 17 with about 3,000 people gathering at Battery Park in New York City. Now protestors have organized themselves at Zuccotti Park, around the corner from Ground Zero. According to a Times article, the park has become a semi-permanent home, complete with a medical station and a distribution point for food and water.

“The protesters have organized themselves into committees to remove the garbage, roam the camp to enforce a ban on open flames (an evictable offense in the eyes of the NYPD) and engage with the people in the area,” reports the Times.

The way the protest was conceived is reminiscent of the Egypt-organized protests that began Tuesday, Jan. 25, which continues to this day. Millions of demonstrators gathered in Cairo, calling it an uprising, and it ultimately forced long-time president, Hosni Mubarek, to resign. Demonstrators used Twitter to organize with the key search “#Jan25” at the helm. Today, that same search on Twitter results in up-to-date Tweets in different languages.

Even the more recent London riots in August notoriously used Twitter to evade police officers. Social media is empowering youth activists and it’s the only way some are even able to hear about “Occupy Wall Street.”

One organization seems to be at the center of “Occupy.” Adbusters, a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that publishes an anti-consumerist magazine, created the Facebook event titled, “OccupyWallstreet.” The protest was created with the intent to work at finding a central message that they wanted to deliver to Big Banks and even President Obama. A work-in-progress type of message.

“Beginning on September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices.

“The beauty of this new formula, and what makes this novel tactic exciting, is its pragmatic simplicity: we talk to each other in various physical gatherings and virtual people’s assemblies … we zero in on what our one demand will be, a demand that awakens the imagination and, if achieved, would propel us toward the radical democracy of the future … and then we go out and seize a square of singular symbolic significance and put our asses on the line to make it happen.

Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof), New York Times columnist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner said the NY demonstration reminds him of Tahrir Square in Egypt.

“Wall St protesters like Tahrir in social media savvy, carnival mood, and deep sense of frustration & disenfranchisement,” he Tweeted today.

Actress Susan Sarandon has visited the site and so has Michael Moore, a documentary filmmaker.

Entrepreneur Russell Simmons addressed the pepper spray incidences that seem to be making more headlines than the actual protest itself.

“SHOCKING 2nd angle of NYPD pepper spraying protesters at wall street bit.ly/q4rTX0 PLS RT #OccupyWallStreet,” Simmons tweeted today.

Cornel West, an American philosopher, author, civil righst activist and a professor at Princeton University, sent a photo via Twitter of him holding a sign that read: “If only the War on #Poverty was a real war, then we would actually be putting money into it. #OccupyWallStreet.”

The demonstrators plan on being there for at least two months, and already there is news that Chicago residents are organizing a sister protest.

To get a bird’s eye view of the situation, there are plenty of websites, including MoveOn.org that are streaming video of the action. And if you agree with the demonstrators, but can’t get to NY, read this article from AlterNet.org that gives you 11 examples of what you can do to help move along the “Occupy Wall Street” message, for instance: “move your money from a big bank to a credit union.”

Click below to get a live stream:
www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

References:

Rawlings, Nate. “Occupy Wall Street Protest: 12 Days and Little Sign of Slowing Down – TIME NewsFeed.” TIME NewsFeed – Breaking News and Updates. 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2011. .

January, 29. “2011 Egyptian Revolution.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.

“Adbusters.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.

“#OCCUPYWALLSTREET | Facebook.” Welcome to Facebook – Log In, Sign Up or Learn More. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.

“Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) on Twitter.” Twitter. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.

Photo: Mateusz Atroszko

This is an interview with Sarah Worley who is a hobby beekeeper in California. She keeps hives at her farm and at another location near her.  Follow her beekeeping and farming adventures at www.beewenchfarm.com or www.beewench.blogspot.com

How did you become interested in beekeeping?

I got interested in beekeeping about 4 years ago after seeing an article about “The Bee Movie”. I was amazed to learn that 1/3 of all the foods we eat is pollinated by bees and that bees were declining in numbers around the world.

How do you get started in beekeeping?

First I read and read and read…then I joined a local beekeepers group and asked questions. Its really important that you talk with beekeepers in your local area if possible, because each region is different for bee management.

What kind of gear do you need before you begin?

First, of course, you need a hive. There are a couple of different types of hives to choose from. There is the Langstroth hive, which is the typical square box you see. There is the Top Bar Hive, which is a long trough shaped hive that is managed a little bit differently. You need a veil to protect your face and a hive tool at minimum. I also would suggest a smoker and a bee jacket and gloves. You also need bees!

Where did you get your bees and gear from?

I got my bees from feral swarms in my area. I gave my name to local farm supply stores, police and fire departments for them to call me if anyone reported a swarm in their area. I purchased most of my gear and one of my hives from beekeeping supply companies. My Top Bar Hives were built by my dad and me.

You said you have a Top Bar Hive, what does that mean?

A Top Bar Hive is a horizontal trough shaped hive that is commonly used in tropical or more temperate climates. Instead of adding boxes, or supers, on top of the hive like a Langstroth hive, you had bars along the length of the hive for the bees to build their comb on.

Is there a benefit to Top Bar hives?

I prefer working with Top Bar Hives because I feel they are less invasive during inspections. I only have to move a bar or two at a time to check on the bees instead of taking the entire top off the hive.

Have you ever been stung?

Hahaha! Yes, of course. I get asked this a lot, and yes, I’ve been stung. It isn’t a big deal, it hurts for a moment and then is gone. I make every effort to not get stung but sometimes it happens.

Were you scared or nervous when you first started?

I was a little nervous. Mostly because I wanted to make sure the bees were taken care of properly, and I was a little scared of getting stung. I dont know why, it’s not a big deal. And after it finally happened I decided to stop being nervous. It’s really important when you are working with the bees to be calm and relaxed because the bees can sense your worry and may become more agitated.

How much time does it take to take care of your hives?

Personally, I dont spend a lot of time on my hives. I prefer to let the bees do their own thing as much as possible. I figure that the bees having been taking care of themselves in the wild for a long time, they can probably continue that. I check that there are bees flying in and out of the hive every week or so and do hive checks about 3 times a year. 2 times a year when I harvest and once during the winter to make sure the bees have plenty of honey to last them. Luckily, I live in a temperate climate and can check the bees during the winter on a sunny day.

How many hives do you have? How much honey do you get from each?

Currently I have 3 hives. Two Top Bar Hives and one Langstroth hive. This spring I plan to add two more Top Bar Hives. I dont take a lot of honey from my bees normally. Like I said, I dont do a lot of management and we only use the honey for ourselves. This year and last year, I’ve harvested about 2 gallons of honey from each hive during the year. I harvest once in late spring and once in late summer to take advantage of the different nectar flows. Harvesting this small amount leaves the bees with plenty of honey to get them through the winter.

What else can you do with bees besides get honey?

Well, there is the beeswax and pollen and also propolis. I use the beeswax from my bees for making soap and beauty products like lipbalm. Many people feel that pollen and propolis have healing properties and it is well known that consuming local pollen helps with seasonal allergies.

Are there different types of honey?

Yes, there are. The type of honey is determined by location and time of the year, or nectar flow. Many beekeepers move their bees to certain “crops” to take advantage of the nectar flow. Lavendar, Orange and Buckwheat are very popular for beekeepers.  During the spring the honey is traditionally lighter in color with a sweeter taste. During the late summer or fall the honey is darker in color, with a deeper taste.

How long does a bee live?

On average a worker bee lives 40-50 days. A queen bee usually has a lifespan of 4-8 years.

Is it true there is only one queen in the hive?

Yes, each hive only has one queen. That queen lays all of the eggs in the hive.

What is your favorite part of beekeeping?

All of it! Seriously, I love being a beekeeper…its so much fun to watch the bees go about their work. Each bee has a job in the hive and the hive works so well because each bee does its job. I love the sweet golden honey we get during the year and answering all the questions people have about beekeeping.

The standards for environmental literacy were passed by the Maryland State Board of Education, a 12-member board of individuals appointed by the governor.  The fact that this was not a legislative initiative is just one of the points of contention being raised by opponents.  In addition, some have been outspoken about their concern for exactly what will be taught to fill the environmental literacy requirement.  State Senator J. B. Jennings, for example, has publically questioned whether the curriculum is going to be “fact-based” or “theory-based,” implying that lessons about global warming and climate change would fall in the latter camp.  Regardless of the reality that there is wide-spread scientific consensus regarding the existence of global warming and anthropogenic climate change, those concerned about this point should note that the literacy standard does not mandate any specific curriculum.  In fact, the individual schools are encouraged to take a multidisciplinary approach to incorporating the type of education in the manner that they see fit.

Others have voiced concern about instating an environmental literacy requirement while some students still struggle with basic academic skills.  The fact is that tests have shown improvement in science, math, reading, and social studies scores in students who had received integrated environmental education as a part of their core courses.  This means that in addition to instilling students with important and timely environmental knowledge, Maryland’s new graduation requirements may help student performance across the board.  It is also worthwhile to note that a number of independent organizations including NOAA Chesapeake BWET and the Chesapeake Bay Trust provide Maryland schools with guidelines and suggestions for curricula and how to take full advantage of local resources.

Despite how individuals may feel about Maryland’s new environmental literacy requirement, it is undeniable that educators across the country are watching closely at what may be the next big trend in pedagogy.  If the thought of an environmentally literate populous in Maryland makes you “green” with envy, there is now reason to truly believe that this could soon happen in your state, too.  Our delegates in Washington D.C. are currently drafting a piece of legislation called No Child Left Inside, which is being spearheaded by Senator Jack Reid of Rhode Island and Senator John Sarbanes of Maryland.  If passed this bill would “increase environmental education opportunities for students across the country,” according to Senator Sarbanes.

Now is the time to call your local Senator or Representative and ask him or her to support this groundbreaking legislation for educational betterment.  It may also be prudent to take action locally, as evidenced by Maryland’s recent moves.  The Maryland State Board of Education advertises itself as a “voice of the people” which “solicits the views of interested groups and the public at large.” This being said, it is true that a number of state and local advocacy groups worked tirelessly in order to bring this recent initiative to fruition.  If you, too, see a vision of greener education in your state, take faith in the notion that voices are being heard in Maryland.  Environmental literacy for all may be even closer than we had imagined.

Use caution before you begin to use herbs. Always make sure your doctor knows exactly which herbs you are thinking of taking and why. Also do not ever substitute an herb for a prescription given to you by a doctor. Children, pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions should be very careful and should also make sure to consult their physician before using herbs. Dont “double up” with herbs and pharmaceuticals. Dont take a pharmaceutical and a herb that are supposed to do the same thing. Make sure that you understand any side effects the herb you are taking may have and any adverse reactions to other herbs or drugs prescribed to you.

Most herbalist concur that there are 8-10 different herbs that are essential in your well being. First is garlic. Garlic has long been known to be good for your heart by lowering cholesterol, but did you know that garlic has been shown in some studies to prevent cancer? In an Iowa Women’s Health Study, it was found that out of 41,000 women, those that ate the most garlic had the lowest risk of colon cancer. Herbal and traditional teas have also been shown to help prevent cancer and heart disease. Black and green teas are both high in antioxidants, natural cancer and heart disease fighters.

Most people have been advised by their elders or friends to drink cranberry juice at the first signs of a bladder infection. But did you know that it is scientifically proven that cranberry does reduce the number of urinary tract infections over time. Cranberry can be found in juice form, capsules or even dried.

Gingko is another well known herb that is healthy. It increases blood circulation through the brain and may slow the effects of Alzheimer’s. Adults are usually advised by herbalists to take gingko to help enhance their memory.

Echinacea is also a long prescribed herb for the treatment of the common cold. Although some studies show no effects, there are many studies that show that echinacea reduces the symptoms experienced during a cold and sometimes even reduce the duration of suffering.

Did you know there is even an herb that can boost mood like the pharmaceuticals Prozac or Zoloft? Some studies have shown that people taking St. John’s Wort showed an elevated mood after only 12 weeks, and with fewer side effects than the pharmaceuticals.

Ginger has been a leading herb for the reduction of motion sickness and as a digestion aid. You don’t think those pieces of ginger are included on that plate of sushi as just a decoration do you? Ginger ale and ginger tea can also be used to provide relief.

All of the above herbs can be grown easily in almost any climate and location. And most are beautiful flowering shrubs or plants. So do some research and use a piece of your existing garden to plant some  medicinal herbs for natural healing or even in pots along your windowsill.

Note: Always consult your medical doctor before using anything mentioned above.

References

“Garlic and Cancer Prevention.” National Cancer Institute, 22 Jan. 2008. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/garlic-and-cancer-prevention>.

Three of five leases for Julia Field, located 250 miles from Louisiana, expired in 2008. Exxon Mobil applied for an extension a month before the leases ran out, but the Department of the Interior denied the request in February 2009, as well as a series of subsequent appeals, citing a lack of commitment by the company to develop the field. According to government regulations a company needs to prove its commitment to producing oil in order to extend a lease.

The company applied for a suspension of production so they could tie their Julia wells to a production unit Chevron planned to build eight-miles away. Regulators denied the request because at the time Exxon and Chevron reached no formal agreement.

“The Interior decision is the first time that the Interior has determined that a ‘production facility’ will ‘facilitate development’ when the lessee owns the ‘production facility,’ but will not ‘facilitate development’ when the lessee does not own the ‘production facility,’” the complaint said.

An Interior department spokeswomen said, “Our priority remains the safe development of the nation’s offshore energy resources, which is why we continue to approve extensions that meet regulatory standards.”

Oil production in the Gulf has received more scrutiny since the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. An investigative report conducted by the Republic of Marshall Islands (the county Deepwater Horizon was flagged under) states a “deviation from the well abandonment plans submitted to and approved by the Minerals Management Service” contributed to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.

If Exxon loses the court case, some officials say that the U.S. government stands to gain more royalties, which according to the Wall Street Journal could amount to almost 11 billion dollars over ten years.

In the complaint Exxon says “The interior decision is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise contrary to law.”

While three leases are being contested, two of the five leases for the field do not expire until 2013.

Exxon is the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, and in 2008 the company received $792.3 million in government contracts.

The court case is Exxon Mobil Corp v. Salazar et. al, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, No. 11-01474.