90
POPSTop 25 Censored Stories of 2007 More I couldn't clip (due to Clip Limits) #21 Gold Mining Threatens Ancient Andean Glaciers #22 $Billions in Homeland Security Spending Undisclosed #23 US Oil Targets Kyoto in Europe #24 Cheney’s Halliburton Stock Rose Over 3000 Percent Last Year #25 US Military in Paraguay Threatens Region
27
POPSThe key to oil independence is a new electrical grid It seems that with alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar, the United States has the potential means to substantially reduce our dependence on oil - especially once plug-in cars are on the market. But until we substantially upgrade our nation's electrical grid with modern technology that will enable the energy created by these sources to be transmitted intelligently around the county, their impact will be limited. It's going to take a greater commitment from Congress to jump start this. Making it happen will provide a huge boost to our economy, environment and political leverage with the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela and more.
24
POPSPaper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know So, while it's good to have the alternative (and to recognize the innovation it represents), bioplastics aren't quite ready to save us from the paper or plastic debate. Paper bags or plastic bags: the conclusion Both paper and plastic bags require lots and lots of resources and energy, and proper recycling requires due diligence from both consumer and municipal waste collector or private recycling company, so there are a lot of variables that can lead to low recycling rates. Ultimately, neither paper nor plastic bags are the best choice; we think choosing reusable canvas bags instead is the way to go. From an energy standpoint, according to this Australian study, canvas bags are 14 times better than plastic bags and 39 times better than paper bags, assuming that canvas bags get a good workout and are used 500 times during their life cycle. Happy shopping!
22
POPSWhy we need high oil prices I know this sounds crazy, but i honestly believe that high oil prices in the short term (1-5 years) is a very good thing if it forces us to find alternatives. I am definitely concerned that if oil prices drop temporarily, the momentum behind alternatives such as wind and solar will die off - leaving us exactly where we are today - way too dependent on oil and way to harmful to our environment.
22
POPSWhy can't the U.S. be more like Varese? If this town in Italy can be 100% dependent on renewable power, why can't towns/cities in the U.S. do the same? It really makes me angry to live in a country that holds itself out as a world leader, yet we need to look at small towns in Italy to see examples of the Power Revolution. It frightens me that Big Oil stands in the way of the U.S. leading the Revolution.
22
POPSLife after oil: time to get ready James Kunstler's trademark pessimism, which, sadly, is probably right on the money. According to the Dept. of Energy, world energy demand now exceeds supply; get ready for a rough ride down the other side of the peak.
21
POPSSmoke a Pack a Day... or move to Cairo This comes as no surprise to me. The entire time I was in Cairo I coughed, hacked and eye watered my way through each day. I asked my chain smoking friend why he bothered to smoke when he could just breathe the air. Worst pollution I personally have ever had to live through. Luckily enough I was able to escape by heading home, unlike most everyone else stuck there.
21
POPSBan The Plastic Bag Bangladesh slapped an outright ban on all polythene bags in 2002 after they were found to have been the main culprit during the 1988 and 1998 floods that submerged two-thirds of the country. Discarded bags had choked the country's drainage systems. Nylon fishing nets, fishing line, bags, 6-pack rings etc, kill hundreds of thousands of animals every year and will continue to do so for hundreds, if not thousands of years to come. Horrible, panicked and painful deaths by drowning, suffocation or internal damage. If Bangladesh can ban the plastic bag and get by, surely so could we!
21
POPSObama's tire pressure remark - fact vs fiction McCain has responded to Obama's suggestion that we better maintain our cars in ways that promote fuel efficiency with childish (yet somehow effective) criticism. The amazing thing these days is that facts don't seem to matter. McCain is jumping on Obama with lies and accusations that, in my opinion, discredit his own reputation for running clean, dignified campaigns.
20
POPSSolar powered Prius!! Now this is exciting news! This type of innovation is exactly what the world needs to help us lose our dependency on oil. It is also the type of progress that i believe will spur the economy out of its very nasty funk.
19
POPSFilling up your car with ELECTRICITY!! When we can fill up our cars with electricity instead of gasoline - and generate electricity through wind and solar power - and transmit more electricity over the grid - we will have truly changed global dynamics. The amazing thing is that it may not be more than a few years away! Any additional help we can get from Washington will make a huge difference. I hope to see this be a central issue in the upcoming election.
19
POPSTesla Motors sells out first 100 cars Innovation and capitalism are amazing forces in dealing with global dynamics. We've got sky high oil prices, instability in the region that oil comes from and a global warming threat that many attribute to our use of fossil fuels. So what do we do? We innovate....this is just the beginning!!
18
POPSBurma, Chevron, slave labor, Rice and more The pipeline was built with slave labor, forced into servitude by the Burmese military. The original pipeline partner, Unocal, was sued by EarthRights International for the use of slave labor. As soon as the suit was settled out of court, Chevron bought Unocal. Chevron’s role in propping up the brutal regime in Burma is clear. Rice served on the Chevron board of directors for a decade. She even had a Chevron oil tanker named after her. While she served on the board, Chevron was sued for involvement in the killing of nonviolent protesters in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Like the Burmese, Nigerians suffer political repression and pollution where oil and gas are extracted and they live in dire poverty. The protests in Burma were actually triggered by a government-imposed increase in fuel prices.
16
POPSObituary: Lorenzo Odone Reasoning that they could combat the disease by reducing the levels of very-long-chain fatty acids, they developed an oil derived from rapeseed and olive oil. When they gave the oil to Lorenzo, it reduced the levels of very-long-chain fatty acids in his blood, by blocking the enzymes that make them. The devotion and determination of Lorenzo's parents helped prolong his life and inspired the film, which came out in 1992. After its release, scientists were angered by suggestions that the oil was a cure for the disease.