Green Sexy

A "Green Porno"?

It seems like everything else has gone green these days---why not porno? Now, does this mean that we have porno stars using biodegradable condoms and eco-friendly lube?  Well, not exactly.  You see, Isabella Rossellini, former Lancome model and star of the ultra-sexually-charged movie Blue Velvet, has changed her focus from human desire and sexuality to that of the insect and animal world.  She has created a series of internet shorts on animal sexuality entitled Green Porno that can be viewed on Sundance Channel's website.  Season one focused on the sexuality of insects, while her new season two focuses on sea creatures and their sexual exploits.  The costumes and props she uses on the show are purposely amateurish and child-like, as the aim of the show is to amuse and inform, rather than to arouse. 

So, if you're looking for a good laugh and have a super short attention span, then get turned on to Rossellini's Green Porno, and you'll never see "green" the same way again!  Now, that's Green-Sexy!

Saving the Wildlife Preserve at Gorongosa, Mozambique?

The Gorongosa Wildlife Preserve stretches for 1,500 miles across Mozambique's expanse of lakes, plains and rain forests.  In the 1960's, Gorongosa had 500 lions, 2,000 elephants, 14,000 Cape buffalo and 3,000 hippos.  Sadly, due to years of war, poaching and poverty, all of those animals have either fled or were killed. 

Enter Greg Carr, the Harvard grad who invented voicemail with a partner back in the 1980's.  He profited to the tune of $200 million, and ever since he made his fortune, he's been giving back through his charitable foundation, the Carr Foundation.  When asked why he chose to throw his money and his efforts behind the Gorongosa Wildlife Preserve, Carr said: "Gorongosa was, most people consider, the most popular national park in all of Africa and the most density of animals, the most beauty, the most diversity of ecosystems. So, you have one of the most beautiful places in the world and you also have perhaps the worst poverty of anywhere in the world, side by side."  Carr wanted to do something about this, and do something he has.  Thus far Carr has made a difference in a village named Vinho, in which he has built a school and a medical clinic, and has set up 200 villagers with jobs related to the protection and operation of Gorongosa Park.  Through his foundation, Carr plans to build 25 more medical clinics and 100 schools.  Carr understands that in order for the park to succeed, the people must also have a chance to be successful and healthy.

Gorongosa currently has crocodiles in abundance and exotic birds, but has few impala, and a herd of elephants and a pride of lions.  Carr knows that tourists want to see big game and their predators, and he has striven to meet this demand.  Last year Carr had trucked in wildebeest from one part of Africa and plans to import hyena from another part.   He also has plans to add more hippos as well, but regrets that he cannot import zebras from Zimbabwe since the political situation there is in such disarray at the moment.  Now, Carr isn't just slapping together a hodge-podge of animals that he saw in a production of The Lion King or some Animal Planet show---he has assembled a team of scientists to make sure that he gets the mix just right and so he can understand these animals better.   Carr expects that by injecting more animals into the park, the country of Mozambique will prosper from the tourist, the hotels to house them, the jobs that will be created in these industries, and the electricity, schools, hospitals, etc. that all of this will necessitate. 

Carr is a true visionary who understands that developing a country's natural resources is one of the best ways to help a country get back on its feet.  Of his work, Carr said, "Coming to Africa, spending time here, learning from their culture, which is rich and beautiful, is a blessing." 

For a clearer picture, check out the CBS 60 Minutes interview below (just exercise some patience sitting through an annoying 30 second ad).

Couldn't Have Said It Better!

I always love reading through the letters in the National Geographic Magazine, as I feel the magazine's readers to be astute observers of culture and science.  In the October 2008 edition there is an awesome letter by Jason DeVries of Lindstrom, Minnesota in regard to a June 2008 article on World Oil.  DeVries makes a perfect analogy for the world's limited oil reserves by comparing the world's dwindling oil supply to a tube of toothpaste.  What follows is DeVries' humorous and well-written letter:

"Some familiarity is found when comparing oil and toothpaste.  I need toothpaste daily.  The tube in my cupboard once held a large amount, easily obtained.  I squeezed and watched with pleasure as the paste poured out.  Lately, however, It has been more difficult.  I know it is there, but it's harder to find and is discovered only with significant effort.  Recognition of my depleting reserves occurred some time ago, but my concern has been buffered, for each day the paste ultimately arrives.  Even now, when the tube is flat and worn, I know that extreme pressure near the nozzle will produce 'white gold.'  Sadly, such effort produces false hope, for experience reminds me that one day even that will stop.  My supply will run dry." 

No Gas Pushmower Support Group

Hello.  My name is Steven and I am obsessed with my no-gas push mower.  In fact, I have two no-gas push mowers!  Just when I thought that I might be alone in this world full of gas-guzzling lawnmowers, a glimmer of hope from across the pond appeared to me via the world wide web.  Dave Thompson, a cricket fanatic from the UK, contacted me regarding his no-gas mower obsession.  Dave likes to use his Ransomes Ajax push mower to cut cricket wickets on his local football pitch, and he loves to share his obsession with the world at his blog MPAFirstEleven.  So far he has five posts about his beloved push mower and all of the wonderful adventures they've had together.  Ah, what a kinship I feel with this gentleman who understands what a joy it is to clip grass with no gas! 

Do you also have such an obsession?  Help is here---there are more of us out there!  Tell me how you feel about your no gas push mower today!

Natural Gas & The Pickens Plan: A Solution or A Scam?

So, you may or may not have heard of T. Boone Pickens before, but basically he's a former oil man worth $3 billion dollars who is now throwing his weight behind the green energy movement.  His plan, aptly named "The Pickens Plan", involves building massive windmill farms in the Midwestern states, effectively supplying 20% of the nation's power, thus freeing up the 22% of power normally derived from natural gas, and using this natural gas to fuel a good portion of our transportation.  This way, Pickens claims that we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil by one-third.

Sounds good to me---sign me up!  But wait---before we get all carried away, buoyed up on a wave of emotion, let's look at the two main components of his plan:  wind and natural gas. 

First of all, building all of these windmills and the infrastructure to support them will cost (according to Pickens) an estimated $1+ trillion dollars!  Now, that is obviously a lot of money, but wind energy is a renewable resource, so once the parts are in place, it is the gift that will keep on giving.

Natural gas, on the other hand, is ike the much-bedeviled maligned oil, a nonrenewable resource.  Granted natural gas burns much cleaner, and is far more abundant in North America than is oil, but its reserves will eventually run out.  According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), there are 1,190.62 Trillion Cubic Feet of technically recoverable natural gas in the United States.  By "technically recoverable", that means the figure includes natural gas that is "undiscovered, unproved, and unconventional natural gas."  So, while that number seems like a lot, not all of it is "technically" there.  Also, according to the Oil and Gas Journal, World Natural Gas Reserves by Region as of December of 2006 has the amount of technically recoverable natural gas in the world at 6,183 Trillion Cubic Feet, which leaves the United States with only 3% of the world's store.  And guess which region has the most natural gas?  Why, it's the Middle East, of course, with our good buddies Russia in close second!  So, in the end, won't the United States still be dependent on the Middle East for its transportation fuel?  Now also understand, T. Boone Pickens has long been a champion of natural gas as a preferred fuel source because his company, Clean Energy Fuels, Inc., owns and operates many natural gas fueling stations in the West and Midwest and is the nation's largest supplier of natural gas for transportation purposes.   Let's just say that Mr. Pickens won't be walking away from this deal empty-handed.

Now, with all of that said, I am still very excited about the prospect of having such an influential man on the green side for once, but I am a bit skeptical of the natural gas angle.  While I think natural gas vehicles are a great innovation, and certainly less polluting, how viable is natural gas as a fuel source?  By replacing a good amount of oil with natural gas as a transportation fuel, one has to ask how far that will get us?  I see this as a very temporary fix, as neither oil nor natural gas will be around forever.  In any case, Pickens has already purchased over 600 windmills from General Electric, so I am very optimistic that he already has begun to have a positive impact on our nation's energy crisis.

The Pickens Plan---Why Him, Why Now?

T. Boone Pickens, Jr. has seen the light; namely the blue flame of natural gas and the sun shining off the blades of wind turbines.   It wasn't always this way; you see, Pickens was born into an oil family, and later built his fortune via oil and the takeover of other oil companies.  Pickens spent many years steamrolling his rivals, many of whom were environmentalists.  He spent obscene amounts of money supporting Republican candidates, and even gave the maximum $250,000 to help get good 'ol fellow oil man George W. Bush back into office for another four years.  So, with a track record like that, why has Pickens renounced his Republican ties and embraced the mantra of those environmentalists he used to bury?  One must first examine the tenets of his energy initiative to fully understand his motive.

I first learned of his new energy initiative, which he has aptly named "The Pickens Plan", via a television commercial that he produced.  Pickens states very clearly that he thinks the cost of oil (and not just in terms of dollars) is detrimental to our nation.  He proposes that we utilize the strong winds of the Midwestern States (which he has dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of wind power") by building the world's largest windmill farm to help produce 20% of the nation's power (as opposed to the current 1%).  He does acknowledge that it would take more than 1 trillion dollars in investments to make this a reality, but he states that "it's a one-time cost. And compared to the $700 billion we spend on foreign oil every year, it's a bargain."  With wind power easing our dependence on foreign oil somewhat, Pickens then proposes that we divert the natural gas that currently accounts for 22% of our nation's energy supply and use it to fuel natural gas powered vehicles.  That way, says Pickens, we'll reduce our dependence on foreign oil by one-third.

Boone told the Associated Press, "I'm doing it for America", and not for personal gain.  Hey---just look at the fact that Boone plans to spend $58 million of his estimated $3 billion net worth on an advertising campaign for his plan.  Doesn't that give credence to his claim of altruism?  In addition to his out-of-pocket expenses for his advertising campaign, he will also drop a pretty penny on all the windmills he vows to put up.  In fact, Boone's company, Mesa Power, has just placed an order in May 2008 to purchase 667 windmills from General Electric.  That is a very promising development that shows that Pickens plans to put his money where his mouth is.  However, the flow of money is not just coming out of his deep pockets---he expects a large return from the natural gas angle of his plan.  You see, Pickens' company Clean Energy Fuels, Inc. "owns and operates natural gas fueling stations from British Columbia to the Mexican border."  Thus, if there's more natural gas powered vehicles on the road, then they'll need stations to fuel up at---Pickens-owned stations. 

But hey, I don't necessarily begrudge a man for trying to turn a profit---especially on an idea that may prove to be beneficial to the energy health of our country.  Pickens has been a self-serving man his whole life, but the difference this time is that he is also trying to do something beneficial for more than just his cronies and shareholders.  There are many obstacles in his way, many of whom are oil companies that he used to rub elbows with.  Of course there's also politicians whose support he'll need, and I'm not sure he'll have enough dollars to grease all of their palms.  In any case, his large public profile and his equally large bankroll gives the renewable energy crowd some more hope for a cleaner, greener future.

Tune in next time for an examination of our nation's natural gas reserves and how it may impact The Pickens Plan.

 

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George Bush Did Not Leave His Heart In San Francisco

Brian McConnell and a group of friends thought it would be a fitting tribute to name a San Francisco area sewage treatment plant after outgoing President George W. Bush.  Thus, the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco was formed, and 10, 000 signatures later, the measure to rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant has qualified for the November ballot.  Proponents of the measure cite President Bush's blunders, from the Iraq war to his handling of the economy, and the fact that we'll all be left to "clean up the mess".  Thus, the sewage plant renaming seems like a fitting move to many.

On one hand, passing this measure would really be a blow to President Bush's legacy and would be a tangible demonstration of the disgust of many an American over President Bush's ineptitude. 

On the other hand, this would just confirm a lot of people's opinions of San Franciscans as a bunch of wackie hippy liberals who do more "fighting of the man" than they do actually doing something of true worth.  Also, there are defenders of the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant who say that it, as an entity "is anything but a symbol of inadequacy", and that "Without it, raw sewage and storm water would flow into the bay and the oceans and the streets. That's not our understanding of what the authors of this initiative believe the current president has delivered."

How will San Franciscan voters respond to this measure?  No one knows, but from now on whenever I flush a toilet, I will be reminded of President Bush.  I guess it gives another meaning to the term "W." C.

Our 100th Post!!!

It all began in February of 2007 with a post that simply read: "All about green...the new sexy."  My wife decided to create this blog as a journal of her green thoughts and aspirations, and with the hope that her writings could inspire others.  Her passion and idealism has inspired many---especially me, her husband and greatest fan.  Thanks to her initiative and support, she has enabled me to contribute to the cause of sharing our green dreams with the world.  Now we are celebrating two exciting events:  My 33rd birthday and our 100th post!

It's been an interesting journey thus far and we have met many like-minded individuals who have expanded our horizons with the perspectives they shared with us.  It's that open exchange of ideas that has made this experience so wonderful.  In that vein, we hope to hear from many more of you in the next hundred posts.  We are also going to add more features to the blog which will make your visits even more entertaining and informative.  In addition, we would like to reach out to other writers who are passionate about this planet and provide them with a forum for their ideas---right here on our blog!

Please join us as we journey further down the path of a greener world, and remember:  Green Is the New Sexy!

Seven Deadly Sins---Sort Of...

In a recent USA Today article entitled "Is Sin Dead?", Pope Benedict XVI declared that the modern world "is losing the notion of sin".  The article counters the Pope's argument by citing a poll conducted in August of 2007 in which Americans sound off about what they consider to be sins.  Typical sins like adultery, drug use, honesty issues, abortion, homosexuality (still?!?), and the like show up on near the top of the list.  A sign that times are changing is reflected in the fact that racism is number 2 on the list, right below adultery!

Anyway, "doing things as a consumer that harm the environment" ranked at 41% on the list, right between "Sexual thoughts about someone you are not married to" and "Smoking marijuana".  Hey---not bad.  Our consciousness about the environment has risen astronomically since Al Gore's award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and this seemingly unrelated poll reflects this positive change. 

So, environmentalists---you've come a long way, baby!

Korean Pianist Turns On the Juice!

On Tuesday, February 19th, Korean pianist Soyeon Lee wore a dress made of 6,000 recycled juice pouches during the second half of her recital at Zankel Hall, New York City.  She wore this dress because she wanted to promote the possibilities of recycling.  The dress was designed by Nina Valenti and was pieced together from juice pouches collected by hundreds of American schoolchildren.   Soyeon Lee also contacted and worked with two companies that helped make her dress a reality.  The first company she contacted was TerraCycle, Inc.,which is a company that turns garbage into consumer products.  The other company she contacted was Honest Tea, Inc., which makes organic bottled teas and uses recyclable pouches.  With TerraCycle's vision and Honest Tea's grape juice pouches, the concept became a reality! 

Check out this dress!!!

Here's the photo shoot: