Endangered Spaces blog

Run the Ants Out of Your Yard, Naturally!

2012-05-25T01:51:00.001-05:00

Summer Time in Texas

Summer is here in Texas. Mosquitoes, ants and heat. My son has not mowed the grass, so every time I walk outside, I step on an ant hill. I hate pesticides and refuse to use them; however, I can not live in harmony with ants in certain parts of my yard.

The Internet is a wonderful place to find information. I have about 20 homemade recipes and another 30 ingredients to use on ant mounds. I will be experimenting with different ingredients and publishing my findings.

If you want to experiment on your own, see the list below.

Ant Killer Ingredients

Salt - sprinkle salt on window sills (keeps demons away, too)
Chalk - draw a line and the ants won't cross it
Lemon juice - the smell of citrus drives ants off
Cayenne pepper - the hotter the better - puree in blender and be careful spreading on mounds
Equal parts white vinegar and water - clean while you kill inside the house
Orange peels pureed with water - pour around foundation, on mounds
Petroleum jelly - ring around the dog bowls keeps ants away
Corn meal, grits - pour over mound. The ants eat them. The grain expands and kills the ant.
Boiling water - this seems a little harsh!
Baking soda and vinegar - drain cleaner/ant killer--who would have thought
Nicotine water - soak pipe tobacco in water overnight. Strain it. Pour over mounds or spray the dirt around the plants invaded. Use gloves for this process

Follow the ant trails back to their source. Attack the root of the problem.

Pour Nicotine water or boiling water over the mound.
Fill a crater in the ant mound 1/2 with baking soda. Top up with vinegar. Chernobyl, ant style.
If you do not want to be killing ants, spread pureed orange peels in and around the anthills. The smell of citrus will invite them to leave.

What do you use for taking care of pests in your yard and home?

Share your knowledge, please.

Happy Mother's Day

2012-05-13T08:59:00.001-05:00

To all Mothers Everywhere

10 Ways to Help Migrating Birds

2012-05-08T13:35:00.001-05:00

Dance of the Whooping Crane

Twice a year, birds big and small make the journey between their winter and summer homes, often a distance of thousands of miles. Here are ten easy ways to help them make it home and back again.

1) Reduce or eliminate pesticide and herbicide use. Using fewer chemicals in your yard and home helps keep wildlife, pets and people healthy.

2) Plant native plants. Natives provide birds with food in the form of fruit and seeds, and are also home to tasty invertebrates like bugs and spiders.

3) Keep cats inside. Keeping cats indoors ensures that birds outdoors stay safe and cats benefit too; indoor cats live much longer than cats that go outside.

4) Prevent window collisions. Make sure birds can see (and avoid) your windows by putting up screens, closing drapes and blinds when you leave the house, or stick multiple decals on the glass (decals need to be spaced closely together to be effective - no more than two to four inches apart).

5) Provide cover in your backyard. Leave snags for nesting places and stack downed tree limbs to create a brush pile, which is a great source of cover for birds during bad weather.

6) Help birds stay on course. Close your blinds at night and turn off lights you aren’t using. Some birds use constellations to guide them on their annual migrations, and bright lights can disrupt them.

7) Create or protect water sources in your yard. Birds need water to drink and bathe in, just like we do. Be sure to change the water two to three times per week when mosquitoes are breeding.

8) Landscape for birds. Use lots of layers, including understory, ground cover, shrubs, and trees. Multiple levels of plants let birds use different layers for different purposes, such as nesting, feeding, and singing.

9) Extend a bird safety net beyond your backyard. Contact your local Audubon Chapter to learn about opportunities to create healthy habitat in parks, beaches and other places in your community.

10) Take the Audubon At Home Healthy Yard Pledge! When you take the Pledge, you commit to conserving water, planting native species, removing invasive plants, reducing pesticide use, protecting water quality, and keeping birds safe in your yard.

Find more ideas at www.facebook.com/AudubonAtHome.

Saving Water Makes Sense

2012-04-28T00:25:00.001-05:00

Drought Conditions

Research scientists claim that, by mid-century, the average global temperature could be 1.4°C to 3°C warmer than the global average temperature measured between 1961 and 1990. Even moderate estimates place the temperature increase by 1°C (Nature Geoscience).

Rivers drying up

While it may be raining and flooding up north, portions of the USA are in a severe drought that is second only to the drought in the 1950s. National Geographic reports eight (8) large rivers worldwide are drying up. Two of these mighty rivers are in the United States.

Colorado River

The Colorado River is dry because of demands of a growing population of 30+ million: diverted and dammed along its 1450 miles; and heavily used by farmers, industry and municipalities. Today, only about one-tenth of the river flows to the delta on the Gulf of Mexico.

Rio Grande River

The Rio Grande (Big River) is another river in trouble. In 1992, Santa Elena Canyon was “For dedicated river runners, Santa Elena features the famous Rock Slide, a swirling series of Class IV rapids that sling boats . . . (Texas Handbook).” Today, The Rio Grande often fails to flow to its delta on the Gulf of Mexico.

What can you do to survive in this time of severe water shortage?

Mechanical changes

Change showerheads and toilets to low-flow. Fix all leaks immediately. A running toilet can waste two gallons of water per minute. A silent leak in a toilet can waste up to 7,000 gallons of water per month. To determine if you have a leak, turn off all sources of water. Go outside and see if your water meter is still turning.

Grey water

Use natural, phosphate-free laundry soap and filter your grey water from the washing machine, one of the home appliances that uses the most water. Use this water for those tasks that require water, but not drinking water. This water may be used, as is, to fight fires that threaten your home. If the drought worsens, you may want to add a filter so that you may drink it. You may find filters for this at www.watertanks.com.

Rainwater

Recycle rainwater. You can find from 62-gallon Rainwater Harvesting Wall to 500-gallon water storage tank at WaterTanks.com. With a minimum of filtration, rainwater may become drinking water. How much water may you recycle? One inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof can produce 6,000 gallons of rainwater.

Go native

Plant native grasses, trees, shrubs and flowers. Do not restrict airflow around your home, but shade it during the heat of the day. Use drip irrigation, a very water efficient process. Find the perfect water container for your gravity fed system at WaterTanks.com. They have a Huge Selection of Tanks.

Change your habits

Turn the water off while you brush your teeth or wash your face, then turn on again to rinse. In the shower, wet your body and turn water off. Apply soap and shampoo, turn water on and rinse. If your dog needs a bath, take him in the shower with you.

Do not use water pressure to clean outside, use a broom or leaf blower. Never run a partially full dishwasher or washing machine. Use the least amount of water to complete your task.

More Sick and Deformed Sea Creatures

2012-04-21T01:17:00.001-05:00

Many of the chemicals used in dispersants after the BP blowout contain petroleum distillates and especially 2-butoxyethanol, which are are medically known to be teratogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic, and exposure to them can lead to a long list of serious health effects, including death. We are reaping what BP sowed--without thought, without restraint and without concern for the inhabitants of the Gulf of Mexico or their descendents.

Over 40 percent of all seafood sold in the USA is caught in the Gulf. This number will diminish as more deformed creatures are found and birth rates of survivors drop. The Gulf of Mexico is a rich mixture of fish, crabs, sharks, porpoises, dolphins, sailfish and huge game fish. I believe BP has destroyed this rich mix and the livelihoods of those who depend on healthy fish to sell. The oil is still present, the dispersants left byproducts and the cleanup is NOT OVER.

Source: Gulf seafood deformities alarm scientists. Eyeless shrimp and fish with lesions are becoming common, with BP oil pollution believed to be the likely cause. (aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/04/201241682318260912.html)

Two Years Later, the Oil Remains in the Wetlands of Louisiana

...wetlands are areas where the frequent and prolonged presence of water at or near the soil surface drives the natural system meaning the kind of soils that form, the plants that grow, and the fish and/or wildlife communities that use the habitat. Swamps, marshes, and bogs are well-recognized types of wetlands... Sec. 404 Clean Air Act (epa.gov/owow/wetlands/facts/fact11.html).

Everyone is on the oil train again with tar sands and pipelines and drilling in the Arctic. I say STOP and think about the price of oil exploration. Is it worth it?

Eyes Without a Face

2012-04-21T00:40:00.001-05:00

Billy Idol sung Eyes Without a Face years ago. His son was in part inspired by Les Yeux Sans Visage, a chillingly horrific 1959 film from acclaimed French director Georges Franju.

However, the horrors found in the gulf are real. These poor critters that live in the Gulf of Mexico, like Blue crabs without claws, shrimp without eyes, fish with lesions and jellyfish with low heartbeats as well as unidentifiable creatures that have oil for body parts.

Almost two years after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are finding deformities among seafood and a great decline in the numbers of marine life.

Reported by Dahr Jamail for Al Jazeera. This story is not being reported by US news sources. Ask why. Perhaps the American press have faces without mouths when it comes to real news?

Clean up the Gulf of Mexico!

Keep the Drills Out of the Arctic!

Oil Companies Do Not Have the Technology to Clean Up the Disasters They Cause.

Keep Unrefined Oil Sands From Spirit Bears

2012-04-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Only 400 Spirit Bears Left

The Kermode Bear--also called Spirit, Sacred and Ghost Bear--is a special white bear that is found in the mid-coastal regions of British Columbia. It is actually a rare subspecies of the Canadian Black Bear. Both parent bears are usually black, but if both carry the recessive gene, there offspring is white. The bear is thought to have supernatural powers, hence the name Spirit Bear. This gentle creature is thought to have roamed the temperate rain forest of Princess Royal Island for 10,000 years. Due to the isolation of this island, one of ten of the black bears is white. ~ Judi Wild, Artist, Guardians of the Spirit Bear ~

Photo by Spirit Bear Youth Coalition founder Simon Jackson.

Enbridge has a disastrous environmental record, responsible for over 800 oil spills since 1999, including a major 2010 spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River . . . Since the oil in the Northern Gateway pipeline would be crude, unrefined oil sands bitumen from Alberta, many environmentalists fear that an oil spill would have disastrous and long-term consequences for the environment.

An online petition to stop the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, started by Kelowna resident James McGregor, is rapidly gaining momentum in its bid to collect 10,000 signatures to deliver to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. You must be a Canadian for your signature to count. Please pass the word to our friends to the north.

Below are other Canadian petitions opposing the Enbridge Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline:

Source: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/earthmatters/2012/04/08/online-petitions-call-stop-enbridge-northern-gateway-pipeline-project

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Americans! Take action here: https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2597

He is risen!

2012-04-07T01:34:00.000-05:00

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Let not your heart be troubled
Let not your soul be sad
Easter is a time of joy
When all hearts should be glad.

Glad to know that Jesus Christ
Made it possible for men
To have their sins forgiven
And, like Him, to live again.

So at this joyous season
May the wondrous Easter Story
Renew our Faith so we may be
Partakers of His Glory!~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

Updated Fracking Fluid Ingredients

2012-04-05T04:12:00.000-05:00

Fracking Fluid

Below is a list of commonly used ingredients of fracking fluid. To avoid confusion of multiple names for same ingredient, the Chemical Abstract Services (CAS) number is used.

Are you interested in what is being used in your neighborhood or watershed? Visit FracFocus and search for wells by county, state or other identifiers. Find the laws for your state that regulate fracking.

Chemical Name	CAS	Chemical Purpose	Product Function
Hydrochloric Acid	007647-01-0	Helps dissolve minerals and initiate cracks in the rock	Acid

Glutaraldehyde	000111-30-8	Eliminates bacteria in the water that produces corrosive by-products	Biocide
Quaternary Ammonium Chloride	012125-02-9	Eliminates bacteria in the water that produces corrosive by-products	Biocide
Quaternary Ammonium Chloride	061789-71-1	Eliminates bacteria in the water that produces corrosive by-products	Biocide
Tetrakis Hydroxymethyl-Phosphonium Sulfate	055566-30-8	Eliminates bacteria in the water that produces corrosive by-products	Biocide

Ammonium Persulfate	007727-54-0	Allows a delayed break down of the gel	Breaker
Sodium Chloride	007647-14-5	Product Stabilizer	Breaker
Magnesium Peroxide	014452-57-4	Allows a delayed break down the gel	Breaker
Magnesium Oxide	001309-48-4	Allows a delayed break down the gel	Breaker
Calcium Chloride	010043-52-4	Product Stabilizer	Breaker

Choline Chloride	000067-48-1	Prevents clays from swelling or shifting	Clay Stabilizer
Tetramethyl ammonium chloride	000075-57-0	Prevents clays from swelling or shifting	Clay Stabilizer
Sodium Chloride	007647-14-5	Prevents clays from swelling or shifting	Clay Stabilizer

Isopropanol	000067-63-0	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent	Corrosion Inhibitor
Methanol	000067-56-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent	Corrosion Inhibitor
Formic Acid	000064-18-6	Prevents the corrosion of the pipe	Corrosion Inhibitor
Acetaldehyde	000075-07-0	Prevents the corrosion of the pipe	Corrosion Inhibitor

Petroleum Distillate	064741-85-1	Carrier fluid for borate or zirconate crosslinker	Crosslinker
Hydrotreated Light Petroleum Distillate	064742-47-8	Carrier fluid for borate or zirconate crosslinker	Crosslinker
Potassium Metaborate	013709-94-9	Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases	Crosslinker
Triethanolamine Zirconate	101033-44-7	Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases	Crosslinker
Sodium Tetraborate	001303-96-4	Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases	Crosslinker
Boric Acid	001333-73-9	Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases	Crosslinker
Zirconium Complex	113184-20-6	Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases	Crosslinker
Borate Salts	N/A	Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases	Crosslinker
Ethylene Glycol	000107-21-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Crosslinker
Methanol	000067-56-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Crosslinker

Polyacrylamide	009003-05-8	“Slicks” the water to minimize friction	Friction Reducer
Petroleum Distillate	064741-85-1	Carrier fluid for polyacrylamide friction reducer	Friction Reducer
Hydrotreated Light Petroleum Distillate	064742-47-8	Carrier fluid for polyacrylamide friction reducer	Friction Reducer
Methanol	000067-56-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Friction Reducer
Ethylene Glycol	000107-21-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Friction Reducer

Guar Gum	009000-30-0	Thickens the water in order to suspend the sand	Gelling Agent
Petroleum Distillate	064741-85-1	Carrier fluid for guar gum in liquid gels	Gelling Agent
Hydrotreated Light Petroleum Distillate	064742-47-8	Carrier fluid for guar gum in liquid gels	Gelling Agent
Methanol	000067-56-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Gelling Agent
Polysaccharide Blend	068130-15-4	Thickens the water in order to suspend the sand	Gelling Agent
Ethylene Glycol	000107-21-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Gelling Agent

Citric Acid	000077-92-9	Prevents precipitation of metal oxides	Iron Control
Acetic Acid	000064-19-7	Prevents precipitation of metal oxides	Iron Control
Thioglycolic Acid	000068-11-1	Prevents precipitation of metal oxides	Iron Control
Sodium Erythorbate	006381-77-7	Prevents precipitation of metal oxides	Iron Control

Lauryl Sulfate	000151-21-3	Used to prevent the formation of emulsions in the fracture fluid	Non-Emulsifier
Isopropanol	000067-63-0	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Non-Emulsifier
Ethylene Glycol	000107-21-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Non-Emulsifier

Sodium Hydroxide	001310-73-2	Adjusts the pH of fluid to maintains the effectiveness of other components, such as crosslinkers	pH Adjusting Agent
Potassium Hydroxide	001310-58-3	Adjusts the pH of fluid to maintains the effectiveness of other components, such as crosslinkers	pH Adjusting Agent
Acetic Acid	000064-19-7	Adjusts the pH of fluid to maintains the effectiveness of other components, such as crosslinkers	pH Adjusting Agent
Sodium Carbonate	000497-19-8	Adjusts the pH of fluid to maintains the effectiveness of other components, such as crosslinkers	pH Adjusting Agent
Potassium Carbonate	000584-08-7	Adjusts the pH of fluid to maintains the effectiveness of other components, such as crosslinkers	pH Adjusting Agent

Copolymer of Acrylamide and Sodium Acrylate	025987-30-8	Prevents scale deposits in the pipe	Scale Inhibitor
Sodium Polycarboxylate	N/A	Prevents scale deposits in the pipe	Scale Inhibitor
Phosphonic Acid Salt	N/A	Prevents scale deposits in the pipe	Scale Inhibitor

Lauryl Sulfate	000151-21-3	Used to increase the viscosity of the fracture fluid	Surfactant
Ethanol	000064-17-5	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Surfactant
Naphthalene	000091-20-3	Carrier fluid for the active surfactant ingredients	Surfactant
Methanol	000067-56-1	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Surfactant
Isopropyl Alcohol	000067-63-0	Product stabilizer and / or winterizing agent.	Surfactant
2-Butoxyethanol	000111-76-2	Product stabilizer	Surfactant

Just glance at the list of ingredients. Choose a few chemicals and Google them. You will be amazed at the chemicals that oil companies are putting into the ground. The same ground from which we draw water for drinking, washing, manufacturing, boating, fishing, swimming.

You may also want to Google the term "fracking disaster list" (without quote marks). My search for incidents in the past year returned 82,400 search results. Read a few. Now you understand the scope of the problem. Yes, we want oil, but we need water to live.

What you Can Do Now to Stop Fracking
By Hydraulic Fracturing in Enchanted Mountains

https://www.facebook.com/notes/hydraulic-fracturing-in-enchanted-mountains/what-you-can-do-now-to-stop-fracking/128973200512569

Hives Decaying, Bees Dying, Pesticide Blues

2012-04-02T00:52:00.000-05:00

The Problem of Bees

Neonicotinoid insecticides are commonly used since the 1990s. These pesticides may also be a primary cause of the dying off of two bee populations. Two new studies in Science found that even small doses of these pesticides, which effect the insect's central nervous system, impact bee behavior and, ultimately, their survival.

Research and Theories

. . . exposed colonies of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris in the lab to field-realistic levels of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, then allowed them to develop naturally under field conditions. Treated colonies had a significantly reduced growth rate and suffered an 85% reduction in production of new queen.

The second study published in Science found similar effects on wild bumblebees. Their hives grew more slowly and produced far fewer queens when exposed to a neonicotinoid.

Given the scale of use of neonicotinoids, we suggest that they may be having a considerable negative impact on wild bumble bee populations across the developed world.

Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6076/1555

In one study, researchers glued tiny microchips to the backs of honeybees. Then, they fed the bees sugar water with a low dose of a neonicotinoid. Lead author Mickaël Henry from the French national agriculture research institute, INRA, says the bees "basically get drunk and cannot find heir way back home.”

If colony collapse syndrome continues at the current rate, managed honey bees will disappear by 2035. Neonicotinoid insecticides have been implicated in these studies. Declines at trace levels in the nectar and pollen of crop plants also demonstrate the problem caused by neonicotinoida. Seeds are now covered with insecticide before sowing. There is no way to separate or wash out the poison.

Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Studies-Link-Bee-Decline-to-Insecticide-145190025.html

Why Should You Care?

Below are a list of foods fertilized by bees: Okra, kiwifruit, bucket orchid, onion, cashew, custard apple, celery, strawberry tree, American pawpaw, star fruit, brazil nut, beet, mustard, rapeseed (canola), broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, Canola turnip, pigion peas, chile pepper, red pepper, bell pepper, green pepper, papaya, safflower, caraway, chestnut, star apple, watermelon, tangerine, tangelo, coconut, coffee arabica, coffee canephora, colar nut, coriander, crownvetch, hazelnut, azarole, cantoloupe, melon, cucumber, squash, pumpkin, goard, marrow, zuchini, guar bean, goa bean, quince, lemon, lime, carrot, syacnith bean, longan, persimmon, durian, oil palm, cardamom, loquat, buckwheat, Feijoa, fig, fennel, strawberry, soybeans, stanhopea, cotton, siunflower, walnut, flax, lychee, lupines, macadamia, acerola, apple, mammee, mango, sapodilla, alfalfa, rambuitan, prickly pear cactus, sainfoin, passion fruit, avocado, lima bean, kidney bean, haricot bean, adzuki bean, mungo bean, stringbean, scarlet runner bean, allspice, apricot, sweet cherry, sour cherry, plum, almond, peach, nectarine, guava, pomegranate, pear, black currant, red currant, rose hips, boysenberry, raspberry, blackberry, elderberry, sesame, eggplant, naranjillo, rowanberry, service tree, hog plum, tamarind, cocoa, clover (not all), blueberry, cranberry, vanilla, tung tree, broad bean, vetch, cowpea, blackeyed pea, karite, tomato, grape, jujube

What is Your Zone? Weather Hardiness Zones Moved.

2012-04-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

The United States Department of Agriculture developed "hardiness zones" during the 1920s and 1930s to help farmers select plants that would grow in their region, A new map was developed in 1990, but covered limited yeasr and did not cover all data collected.

1990 Weather Hardiness Zone Map

Th3 2012 map is based on average minimum temperatures collected over a 30-year period. The map is used by both backyard gardeners and large operating growers so they can determine which plants will grow and thrive in their area

2012 Plant Hardiness Zone Maps

Comparing the new 2012 map to the last map USDA published in 1990, shows significant shifts, especially across the Great Plains. Though the USDA cautions that not all the changes to the map can be attributed to climate change, it is clear that the major shifts are related to warmer temperatures.

Most of the zones have moved northward 50 miles. That is an awesome shift for 10-12 years. While this means a longer growing season in some areas, it also means that pests, like kudzu and fire ants, are moving northward, too. So, if you see a new plant or pest you do not recognize, take it to the county extension agent or a specialist at a local university. This will help stop the spread of invasive species.

Below, you may input your zip code to find out in seconds in which Hardiness Zone you live. No data is collected by Endangered Spaces or the Arborday Organization.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;[Your browser doesn't support IFrames. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.arborday.org/TreeInfo/ZoneLookup.cfm" target="_blank"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Click here&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; to look up your arborday.org hardiness zone.]&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Postcards from Marcellus Shale

2012-03-26T01:47:00.000-05:00

Uranium in H2O Supply of Grand Canyon

2012-03-19T05:18:00.000-05:00

Dozens of new mines threaten to industrialize iconic and regionally
sacred wildlands, destroy wildlife habitat and permanently pollute or
deplete aquifers.

The Grand Canyon

Do you remember how you felt when first you stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon? I remember how insignificant I felt amongst the glory of the rocks, muted colors and glittering ribbon of light far down in the Canyon that is the Colorado River.

Historical Perspective

Supreme Court Justice Willis Van Devanter described the Grand Canyon as a place of wonder:

It is the greatest eroded canyon in the United States, if not in the world, is over a mile in depth, has attracted wide attention among explorers and scientists, affords an unexampled field for geologic study, is regarded as one of the great natural wonders, and annually draws to its borders thousands of visitors.

However, uranium mining left a toxic legacy to the Grand Canyon. Radioactive residues have been accumulating in and around Grand Canyon for more than 50 years. Permanently polluted land and water, resulting from federal programs in the 1950s that encouraged uranium prospecting on public lands. When the market tanked, these mining companies left behind thousands of poisonous surface sites and deadly groundwater plumes, like the ones polluting the streams that flow through the Park.

. . .Uranium is a special concern because it is both a toxic heavy metal and a source of radiation. . . . its effect on fish in the Colorado River at the bottom of the gorge, and on the bald eagles, California condors and bighorn sheep that depend on the Canyon's seeps and springs. -Steve Martin, former Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent.

The Mining Companies ARE BACK

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar stood up for protecting the lands around the national park, putting a million acres off limits to new mining claims. Today, Park protection measures and the basis of authority of the Interior Secretary to enforce such measures is under attack. EarthJustice on Side of Grand Canyon
Case Number # 2340 Earthjustice has intervened to defend the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 20-year ban on new uranium mining claims across 1 million acres of public lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon.

What Is Happening Now?

On the side of the Grand Canyon is Earthjustice and their clients, a diverse but dedicated group dedicated to protecting the Grand Canyon.

Havasupai Tribe,
Grand Canyon Trust,
Center for Biological Diversity,
Sierra Club, and
National Parks Conservation Association

What Can I Do Now?

Write comments to support Secretary Salazar’s proposed ban on new uranium claims within Grand Canyon watersheds and call your congressional representatives and ask them to support the Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act.

Take Action Today

Thank Secretary Salazar.
Read about Mining and Fracking near Grand Canyon

More Poison for Our Children

2012-03-12T23:39:00.000-05:00

Exposure to chemicals in the environment can significantly affect the developing brain and central nervous system of a child. The exposure can lower IQ, alter behavior and influence social relationships.

Lead, organophosphate pesticides and methylmercury are common in the environment. They may affect the IQ and the health of our children. They pass the brain-blood barrier and may be passed from mother to fetus or breastfeeding infant.

Lead

Lead occurs naturally in our environment; however, mining, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing has spread lead far and wide. Once a key ingredient in paint and gasoline, lead is still used in batteries, solder, pipes, pottery, roofing materials and some cosmetics.

Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development.

Signs of lead poisoning in children may include:

Vomiting,
Irritability,
Weight loss,
Constipation,
Abdominal pain,
Loss of appetite,
Learning difficulties,and
Sluggishness and fatigue,

Babies who are exposed to lead before birth may experience:

Learning difficulties
Slowed growth

Mercury

Power plants in America emitted 134,365 pounds of mercury pollution in 2009, according to an Environment America report, ‘Dirty Energy’s Assault on Our Health: Mercury.’

The power plants in Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia are responsible for at least 35 percent of mercury pollution from power plants in the USA.

Mercury is everywhere in our environment and it may be a major contributing factor to the increase in developmental disorders.

These disorders include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Pervasive Development Disorder and Asperger’s syndrome, to name common disorders.

Visible symptoms of mercury poisoning

Lack of concentration,

Decreased eye contact,

Unresponsive to their name,

Sensitive to sensory stimulation, and

Repeating certain actions over and over.

Problems in language and speech acquisition related to mercury poisoning

Loss or delay of speech,

Difficulty in memorizing, and

Difficulty in understanding and using language.

Social problems can be attributed to mercury poisoning

Irritability,

Withdrawal,

Mood swings,

Night terrors,

Sleep problems, and

Aggressive behavior.

Other problems associated with mercury poisoning

Asthma,

Multiple sclerosis,

Juvenile diabetes,

Decreased immunity, and

Chronic ear infections.

Sound familiar? There has been a marked increase in development disorders as well as generational losses of IQ.

Organophosphate Pesticides

According to National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Some chemicals, pollutants, foods, and other behavioral changes that may have minimal adverse effects in adults, may impact a developing fetus and have long-lasting effects on a child’s health even into adulthood. This is sometimes referred to as the fetal basis of adult disease or windows of susceptibility.

Organophosphate pesticides affect the nervous system by disrupting the enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Organophosphates are found in bug sprays, but they also can be ingested through fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with these chemicals. They can be spread from the ground to mouth in certain pesticide-drenched areas (such as the Texas/Mexican border).

Research suggests that early childhood exposure to certain organophosphates can lead to lasting effects on learning, attention, and behavior -- just like lead. Three studies correlate prebirth exposure to pesticides and lower intelligence scores in children. When it comes to pesticides and ADHD, organophosphates are commonly seen as the culprit.

What is frightening is that all these products are still in use around pregnant women, infants and children. We talk of the USA falling behind other countries in math and science scores. This may be part of the problem. Moreover, with the upswing in the number of autism-like diseases, ADHD, speech and language delays, and CNS disease, it seems almost criminal that we would allow the use of these products to continue.

What To Do

Write the President and your Congressman. Write letters to the editor to all local newspapers. Discuss this issue with your neighbors, members of your church and the PTA. Blog it, podcast it, made a YouTube movie about it. What to do? Whatever it takes!

Selected Sources

Copyright

2012-03-12T22:08:00.002-05:00

All content on Endangered Spaces blog is considered the intellectual property of Eileen F Trainor.

For purposes of determining fair use, please refer to http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-c.html#3, specifically:

Internet Cases

Not a fair use. Entire publications of the Church of Scientology were posted on the Internet by several individuals without Church permission. Important factors: Fair use is intended to permit the borrowing of portions of a work, not complete works. (Religious Technology Center v. Lerma, 40 U.S.P.Q. 2d 1569 (E.D. Va. 1996).)

Electric Frontier Foundation has written a Legal Guide for Bloggers.

If you would like to use the content on this blog, please use contact button or comments to request permission. Excessive use is an infringement of copyright.

Algae Blooms Beautiful and Deadly

2012-02-27T01:13:00.000-06:00

Blue Green Algae

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-gree algae, was one of the original life forms on Earth. Using sunlight to make food, they may have been created the oxygen we breathe.

However, poison toxins produced by cyanobacteria are responsible for causing illness and death to those who breathe, drink, or even touch the toxin.

When something goes awry in the environment, it is usually caused by humans. The increases in cyanobacteria is no different.

For some time, human-made sources of nitrogen and phosphorus encouraged larger blooms. Warming water temperatures caused by climate change actually does two things: it fuels cyanobacteria species while suppressing the growth of less harmful algae.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) of cyanobacteria occur in approximately 35 states, with recent accelerated growth in 4 states. The impacts include odor at the bloom, problems of bad tasting and smelling drinking water. Animal deaths, problems at fish hatcheries and reduced recreational opportunities round out problems.

Source: The Rise of Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Resources

Red Tide

Lingulodinium polyedrum, one type of dinoflagellates that cause red tide, have been spotted off the beaches in San Diego. At night, the dinoflagellates are bioluminescent, so surfers and swimmers are wading in the stinking brownish waters to enjoy the blue light as their fingers or boards stroke the water. A wave crashing on the shore is something for people to watch.

video platform video management video solutions video player

While this particular algae does not cause harm to humans, it is harmful to fish and invertebrates. It damages or clogs their gills. The algae may form large blooms that, when they die and decay, the result is a dead zone (area of oxygen depletion) in marine environments. Dense blooms block sunlight that are needed by beneficial algae and sea grasses.

Sources: Red Tide Off California Coast Creates Blue Glow and Harmful Algal Bloom

Other HABs

Microcystis caused problems in Florida last Fall.

The algae, which kills fish, makes the water bright green and smell like raw sewage is highly toxic. Health authorities say you should not touch, drink it or swim in it. The algae in the water can give you rashes, respiratory problems, and even kill you.

Source: Toxic Algae Turning Florida Rivers Green

Thanksgiving Will NEVER Be the Same

2012-02-24T02:13:00.001-06:00

What is Mechanically Separated Meat? (MSM)

Mechanically separated meat (MSM) and mechanically separated poultry (MSP) are products created when meat processors recover edible meat tissue (muscles and connective tissues) from the carcasses of animals. Despite the rumors, the meat processors do not use guts, eyeballs, hooves or bones in the meat processing.

Is MSM Safe?

In 1982, a final rule published by FSIS (the Food Safety and Inspection Service) on mechanically separated meat (beef) said it was safe and established a standard of identity for the food product. Some restrictions were made on how much can be used and the type of products in which it could be used.

FSIS regulations changed in 2004 to protect consumers against Mad Cow Disease. MSM is now considered inedible and not permitted in hot dogs or any other processed meat product.

Mechanically Separated Poultry (MSP)

Mechanically separated poultry (MSP) is the main ingredient in chicken nuggets, chicken patties and frozen chicken pieces sold in the stores.

MSP
Picture Credit: http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/msm.asp

Mechanically separated poultry (MSP) is a paste-like poultry product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible tissue, through a sieve or similar device under high pressure to separate bone from the edible tissue (see photograph above). The CHICKEN PASTE is pink because of blood from the process.

In November of 1996, the rule on mechanically separated poultry said it was safe and could be used without restrictions, except it must be listed under ingredients as mechanically separated chicken or turkey. Hot dogs can contain any amount of mechanically separated chicken or turkey.

The MSP is riddled with e coli and salmonella, so it must be treated with ammonium hydroxide. After all this, as you can imagine, the MSP tastes horrible. The taste of chicken is added with artificial flavorings and the color is changed with artificial colorings. After all, the paste has to look like chicken before it is formed into nuggets and patties.

Danger! Danger! Stay Out of the Kitchen! . .

2012-02-12T01:22:00.004-06:00

Bisphenol A (BPA) is Ubiquitous in Our Environment

Where is BPA Found?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is in our water bottles, our plastic bags, our canned goods, our baby food and infant formula containers and children's toys. Due to actions in the past by concerned environmentalists, BPA is NOT found in baby bottles MADE IN THE USA any longer.

BPA is so common in our environment that you may receive BPA from paper receipts from ATMs and stores (Warner, J.C. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice). The BPA may be absorbed by your skin or transferred to food or other people.

How To Fix Your Kitchen

Lose the Plastic

The worst BPA offenders in the kitchen appear to be those plastic containers used to store leftovers and dry goods. If they are stained or nicked, throw them out!

Use Alternatives for Storage

Switch to glass, porcelain or ceramic containers (Patricia Hunt, Washington State University). Save your glass containers to use for storage.

Lately, I have noticed glass containers had replaced most of the shelf space formerly populated by BPA plastic. While you decide how you are going to finance new containers, use either Ziploc bags or Saran Wrap, both are BPA-free.

You could also use stainless steel bowls, but do not cover food with aluminum foil and put in the fridge -or- cover with Saran Wrap before aluminum. It causes some type of reaction that may make your food taste bad.

Beware of Can Liners

One last caution about the lining in canned goods. You have seen it, it is white and shiny. It leaks BPA into your soup and can send levels of BPA in your body up astronomically! In April of 2011, I send letters regarding BPA in the lining of cans to three leading manufacturers. General Mills is the only company that replied. Below is a quote from the letter. Basically, they are saying there is "no problem."

Scientific and governmental bodies worldwide have examined the science and concluded that the weight of evidence continues to support the safety of BPA, including comprehensive risk assessments in Japan and in the European Union. While studies continue, food safety regulators are not recommending any specific changes or actions in can lining applications, including those using BPA. Quote from prior post on this blog.

BPA and the Human Body

BPA is so toxic that parts per billion or even parts per trillion have been shown to cross the placenta and disrupt normal prenatal development. More than 200 studies have linked BPA exposures at very low levels to breast cancer, increased risk of diabetes and heart problems. Quote from prior post on this blog.

BPA has been shown to be an endocrine-disruptor. It is horrifying to think that BPA is what is causing early puberty in our children. I have heard of nine year old girls having menses and babies.

Take Action

Spread the World

On March 31, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to announce whether they will ban BPA from all food packaging. The FDA has already issued a report that their hands are tied because BPA has been approved under the label of additive. Write letters to the editor of local papers, write your members of congress and the house, email the president, talk with your friends, community groups, etc.

Boycott Stores that Sell BPA Items

IF WE DO NOT BUY ITEMS WITH BPA, the manufacturers will lose money. They do not give a good Goddamn about our children, but the almighty dollar will motivate them. Please pass this on.

For More Information

All the blog posts about BPA on Endangered Spaces

http://endangeredspaces.blogspot.com/2010/04/b-is-for-bisphenol-bpa.html#uds-search-results

AARP
FDA warns your plastic may be harmful

Department of Health and Human Services

http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/

Environmental Health News
BPA fosters diabetes-promoting changes

Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/bpa.html

Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucm166145.htm

Our Stolen Future
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/

Would You Pay $15 per gallon of gas? YOU ARE!!

2012-02-04T22:26:00.000-06:00

Direct Fossil Fuel Subsidies Worldwide:Half a Trillion Dollars Annually

World on Edge and Past Peak Oil

Here are disturbing numbers from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse, by Lester R. Brown, and its excerpt Governments Spend $1.4 Billion Per Day to Destabilize Climate released by Earth Policy Institute on Jan.19, 2012.

IEA represents 34 industrial economies through Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, appears to be well aware of peak oil, which has passed, as well as the dangers of climate change.

USA WAS a Leader in Environmental Protection

Lester R. Brown presents facts in a scientific manner,so criticism of his message appear as an attack on environmentalism. Brown became known in the early 1970s when the U.S. was leading environmental protection. That was 40 years ago! What happened to our environmental conscious?

With the USA dragging its feet regarding environmental issues and changing regulations to cater to top economic interests of oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear, worldwide work on the environment has halted

Environmentalists Stand Between Government and Ecological Disaster

Heroic works by the U.S. environmental community using grass roots organizations have managed to stop some horrendous environmental mistakes,like more nuclear plants, more coal plants, uranium mine on rim of Grand Canyon, and pipelines across critical habitat and aquifers that provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people.

However, these battles must be fought over and over, as money fills the coffers of friendly politicians who are not educated on what a pipeline, fracking or coal plant will mean to their them or their families.

In its brief report released Jan. 19, 2012, Governments Spend $1.4 Billion Per Day to Destabilize Climate, Earth Policy Institute relays data from the IEA on fossil fuels subsidies.

What happens when changes in energy sources are delayed, and the world uses up all resources? There will be complete economic collapse, social upheaval and unthinkable ecological collapse.

The rising cost of driving in the United States in terms of dollar subsidies has been shown to be equal to the Pentagon budget! The International Center for Technology Assessment calculated that a maximum of $15 per gallon of gasoline was the true cost when indirect or hidden subsidies, as well as direct subsidies, were applied.

Earth Policy Release Data Highlight January 19, 2012

True Cost of Gas

The International Center for Technology Assessment's calculations did not include environmental or health costs of petroleum activities and contamination. Earth Policy Institute now has an estimate for the same cost, but with a different mix of factors:

The indirect costs of gasoline, including climate change, treatment of respiratory illnesses, and military protection, add up to $12 per gallon. Adding this to the U.S. average of $3 per gallon brings the true market price closer to $15 per gallon.

Worldwide, direct fossil fuel subsidies added up to roughly $500 billion in 2010.

Supports on the production side totaled $100 billion. Supports for consumption exceeded $400 billion, with $193 billion for oil, $91 billion for natural gas, $3 billion for coal, and $122 billion spent subsidizing the use of fossil fuel-generated electricity. Governments are paying out nearly $1.4 billion per day to further destabilize the earth's climate.

Alternative Energy is Step-Child

In contrast to the $500 billion in fossil fuel supports in 2010, renewable energy received just $66 billion in subsidies-two thirds for electricity generation from wind, biomass, and other sources, and one third for biofuels. The long legacy of governments propping up oil, coal, and natural gas has resulted in a very uneven energy playing field.

Top Countries Subsidizing Fuel

Country - Fuel Subsidies 2010

Iran - 81 million in subsidies
Saudi Arabia - $44 billion
Russia - $39 billion
India - $22 billion
China - $21 billion

Kuwaiti - $2,800 spent per citizen
United Arab Emirates - $2500 spent per citizen
Qatar - $2500 spent per citizen

Cutting Carbon Emissions and Subsidies

Carbon emissions could be cut in scores of countries by simply eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. Some countries are already doing this. Belgium, France, and Japan have phased out all subsidies for coal, for example. As oil prices have climbed, a number of countries that held fuel prices well below world market prices have greatly reduced or eliminated their motor fuel subsidies because of the heavy fiscal cost. Among those reducing subsidies are China and Indonesia. Even Iran, which was pricing gasoline at one fifth its market price, dramatically reduced its gasoline subsidies in December 2010 as part of broader energy subsidy reforms.

Call to Action

Coal and/or Gas Burned to Produce Electricity

There are no easy answers for energy questions. We, as a people, must decide if a fast car is worth the lungs of our grandchildren; if natural oil to heat our homes is worth polluting our water supply; if chemicals, rather than insects, on our food, is worth birth defects in generations to come; if coal should be used to generate electricity instead of solar power, leveling mountains, polluting water and killing the miners with mesothelioma; if the destruction to gulfs, waterways and critical habitats is worth have oil to run our cars.

Mountain Top Removal for Mining Coal

We have the technology and the intelligence to invent alternatives for energy. In fact, we have. The same companies spending our subsidies also squash any initiative that might take profits from their pockets and the pockets of investors. I believe they have made enough money on the back of Mother Earth. It is time to give back. What do you think?

Dispersant and Gulf Water Do Not Mix

*******************************
Thanks to Jan Lundberg
of Culture Change. As usual,
Jan has the answers to the
problems that plague us all.

*******************************

Take A Deep Breath of ROUNDUP?!?

2012-01-30T22:47:00.000-06:00

As recently as 2004, glyphosate was revealed to exhibit
endocrine-disruptive and embryotoxic effects,
indicating that it may contribute to birth defects
and abnormal fetal development.

The herbicide Roundup, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate, was found in 41 percent of 140 groundwater samples in a study conducted in Catalonia Spain. The levels of glyphosate were beyond measurement (Annals of Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2011 Nov 20. Epub 2011 Nov 20. PMID: 22101424). So, despite the claims of the manufacturer Monsanto, Roundup does not degrade in the environment, but rather accumulates there.

. . . glyphosate is considered by the EPA as a Class III toxic substance, fatal to an adult at 30 grams, and has been linked to over 20 adverse health effects in the peer-reviewed, biomedical literature (Are You Eating, Drinking & Breathing Monsanto's New Agent Orange? http://goo.gl/X1BdL).

When will we learn? When a large manufacturer assures EPA that their substance is safe, the statement should be tested and not accepted as truth.

Is the Very Air Poisoned?

Another study, conducted in March 2011, measured ambient levels of glyphosate and its major byproduct, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in 60-100 percent of all air and rain samples tested, indicating that glyphosate pollution and exposure is now omnipresent in the US (http://goo.gl/X1BdL).

Should we be worried? This is not Monsanto's first foray into the field of fire for its products. Monsanto admitted to manufacturing of Agent Orange from 1965 to 1969.

GMOs are Everywhere, so Herbicides are Too

Agent Orange is a powerful herbicide and defoliant that partially breaks down into dioxin, a toxin that caused serious health problems for American soldiers who fought in Vietnam. These health problems include cancer and genetic damage causing birth defects in offspring. My husband, a medic in Vietnam, was exposed to Agent Orange. He has an enlarged heart, elevated liver enzymes and diabetes. He is 100 percent disabled due to these health problems.

Agent Orange was a 50-50 mix of two common herbicides, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, which had been used domestically since the late 1940s without incident . . . Since the Vietnam War, both scientific and public concern has arisen over the dioxin compound 2,3,7,8-TCDD, a byproduct of the manufacturing process used to produce 2,4,5-T . . . (Agent Orange: Background on Monsanto's Involvement http://goo.gl/J7Ye2).

What to do? Monsanto is the leading purveyor of genetically modified organism in corn and soy products. The GMOs are immune to Roundup, so it is used without caution on modified food crops.

We breathe, eat and drink Roundup. If we sit on the ground, we are enveloped by Roundup. If we stand in the rain, we are soaked with Roundup. Roundup is in the ecosystem, a closed system that supports our life. We will continue to see developmental problems in our young, miscarriages in healthy women, birth defects in our infants and . . . DEATH.

Stop Monsanto

We are Losing the Whooping Cranes

2012-01-21T04:12:00.000-06:00

Only 3 Whooping Cranes Came to Aransas Wildlife Reserve this Year

Whooping Cranes Endangered by Drought

If you have ever had the opportunity to see the whooping cranes at their normal wintering grounds in and around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge north of Rockport, you are aware that you viewed something special.

Whooper Facts

Type: Bird
Diet: Omnivore
Average life span in the wild: 22 to 24 years
Size: Body, 4.9 ft; wingspan, 7.5 ft
Weight: 13.3 to 17.2 lbs
Protection status: Endangered

Whooper Migration

The natural breeding ground of the whooping cranes is Wood Buffalo National Park, in Canada's Northwest Territories and Alberta. Here the cranes perform elaborate running, leaping, wing-flapping dances to choose mates. When summer ends, these migratory birds set out with their chicks for the Gulf Coast of Texas, where they winter at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Texas Drought Interrupts Migration

The whoopers come to the Texas Gulf Coast to fatten up on crabs and berries before taking the long long flight back to Canada to nest. The 2011 drought in Texas has made estuaries and marshlands too salty for blue crabs to live and destroyed most of the wolf berries. To top it off, the red tide, a toxic algae that blooms in salty water, make it dangerous for whoopers to eat clams.

Texas suffered a severe drought in 2009. It is estimated that 23 whooping cranes died between November and March. They died of disease and starvation. So far this year, we lost one whooping crane. The problem is that the cranes mate for life; lose a spouse, lose a breeding pair.

Detour: Granger Lake

Six whooping cranes, two family groups, have established a winter home around Granger Lake northeast of Austin. While strange, other whoopers have set up home around Austin before. As the flock grows, there is less food and the cranes become more territorial. Hopefully, the 200 are spread out and eating and not dying of starvation on the flight path.

Fly Straight On Through

When they return to Canada, they fly straight on through. No stopping to eat while flying back north. If the whooping cranes do not get enough protein during the winter months in Texas, more of them could die on the 2,500-mile journey back to their summer nesting grounds,

Losing Our Freedoms, One by One

2012-01-17T17:40:00.000-06:00

Stealing our rights in the name of freedom.

Crushing our protesters in the name of national security.

Where will it end?

Source: covertress.blogspot.com

Losing the Freedom of the Internet

The Congress and the House of Representatives have come up two separate bills to further curtail our freedoms. I guess it is just too hard for the poor peeps to tackle something important, like sending jobs overseas, corruption on capitol hill, the environmental dangers posed by fracking and the XL pipeline, climate change, the disappearing middle class, etc.

Oh, but they have time to write the bills that will take away the few pleasures left to the public that is struggling to work, live and pay taxes.

Congress is about to pass Internet censorship, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed to it. We need to kill the bills - PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House - to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity.

S.968 - PROTECT IP Act of 2011

PIPA - Establishes process by which a website is taken down because the Justice Department (DoJ) says the site is conducting infringing activities. The DoJ or the copyright owner would begin legal action and the DoJ could demand that search engines, social networking sites and domain name services block access to the targeted site.This could all be done without anyone being heard by a judge.

Stop Protect IP Adresses (PIPA) - Read the bill here.

H.R.3261 - Stop Online Piracy Act

SOPA - Basically the same as PIPA, with some additions: . . . against any site they deem to have "only limited purpose or use other than infringement," . . . It would also make unauthorized web streaming of copyrighted content a felony with a possible penalty up to five years in prison. This bill combines two separate Senate bills -- S.968 and S.978.

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) - Read the bill here.

People are saying these bills will break the Internet. In protest many of the large websites, like Wikipedia are "blacking out" their websites tomorrow 1/18. I have decided I will add this post to all my blogs as a public service announcement,

Click the infographic below to take action.

Do it today.

He Went to the Promised Land

2012-01-15T15:40:00.000-06:00

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was a wonderful orator with the booming voice of a minister. He gave mesmerizing speeches that touched the heart and minds of all Americans. A proponent of civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance, King made even diehard racists look again at their beliefs.

His last speech in Memphis on April 3, 1968 was his famous, "I have a Dream speech." Read the passage below and see if you think he had a premonition of his own death.

. . . And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man.

Even if he did suspect his time was near, he would not take additional precautions. He was used to the bombs, telephone calls and death threats that plagued his last years on Earth. He was a man of the people and he wanted to be where they were. He was shot and died among his followers on April 4.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

2012-01-07T06:49:00.001-06:00

Eileen Trainor, Thyroid Disease Survivor

This paragraph will surprise some viewers and enlighten others:

. . . 59 million Americans have thyroid problems, and the majority of these thyroid sufferers remain undiagnosed and untreated, in part because patients and their doctors are unaware of the many different risk factors, signs and symptoms of a thyroid condition (http://thyroidawarenessmonth.com).

Hypothyroidism

hypothyroidism - slow, fatigued, fat

I have hypothyroidism, the most common thyroid problem. My thyroid gland produces insufficient thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism causes the metabolism to slow down. Some of the side effects are fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, infertility, low sex drive, memory and concentration problems.

I had another complication. I had a connection between my thyroid and my throat that never closed when I was a baby. This enabled a large cyst to form in one lobe of my thyroid. It was huge. I finally decided I should have that lobe of my thyroid surgically removed (lobectomy) because I was sick of people asking, "Do you know you have a huge . . ?"

Surgery

I did not want surgery. I am the epitome of Murphy's Law. If something can go wrong, it will. Surprisingly, I made it through surgery with no problems. I was gorked on pain medication, so I did not really know what was going on. I felt the bandage and knew the incision was small, so I was happy.

Then I started to feel pressure around my throat; the pressure turned to pain. The doctor checked my incision, felt around my neck and then moved faster than any doctor I know. I was bleeding internally. Thanks, Murphy!

When we entered the OR, the anesthesiologist told me that he would be taking short cuts to sedate me before I bled out. This meant he stopped my breathing before he could intubate me and give me oxygen or anesthesia. I remember mouthing, "I can't breathe!" with what little air I had. If that was not scary enough, I had a tube rammed down my throat (again) without any pain medicine.

This time when I awoke, I felt terrible. I had been intubated twice, under anesthesia twice, operated on twice, and I was in PAIN. One of the lobes of my Thyroid was gone, along with the cyst. In its place, I had a gash in my neck that looked like I fell on a knife and rolled over. Below that I had a hole with what I called my garden hose attached. Luckily, I had a duster (dress with snaps down the front and two huge pockets). I put the tube inside my duster, cut a hole for the bag in the pocket and almost looked human.

Thyroid Disease Runs in Families

I was the bellwether in my family. When my mother started feeling fatigued, she got tested and sure enough, she had hypothyroidism. Then my older sister was diagnosed, then my younger sister. A few years ago, my niece started looking fatigued and depressed. We carted her off to the doctor. Guess what it was? Hypothyroidism.

Your dog can have thyroid problems. As they age, they are exposed to all the pollutants we are, so it is not surprising they develop thyroid problems, usually hypothyroidism. If you pet is losing hair, fatigued and gaining weight, ask the vct to test the animal's blood.

~~~~~~~~ Believe it or Not ~~~~~~~~

Many doctors, predominantly male, never diagnose thyroid problems in women. In fact, in the early 1980s, a doctor had the audacity to tell a friend of mine that she just needed to get married and her symptoms would vanish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyperthyroidism

hyperthyroidism - fast, anxious, thin

Men are just as susceptible to thyroid disease. A coworker of mine had hyperthyroidism. His thyroid produced too much thyroid hormone. This led to stress and high blood pressure. Hyperthyroidism may lead to anxiety and/or panic attacks, tremors, diarrhea, muscle weakness, eye problems, insomnia, and rapid, debilitating weight loss.

He was treated by radioactive iodine that gradually shrunk his thyroid gland, eventually destroying it. This therapy is safer than it sounds; in fact, it is the most commonly used hyperthyroid treatment in the US. Unlike anti-thyroid medications, radioactive iodine is a permanent and more reliable cure for hyperthyroidism. However, you then have to take thyroid hormone replacement therapy, just like someone with hypothyroidism.

Some types of hyperthyroidism, like solitary toxic adenoma,requires surgery to remove half of your thyroid gland (known as a lobectomy) with the adenoma. For nearly all other types of hyperthyroidism, including Graves' disease, the surgery is a nearly total thyroidectomy.

~~~~~~~~ Believe it or Not ~~~~~~~~

I think the increase in thyroid disease is a symptom of a sick Earth. Mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, nickel, and other heavy metals can all cause thyroid damage. These heavy metals are released by mining for copper and gold and processing for coal, natural gas and oil.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learn the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Graves Disease, and the appearance of goiters and nodules so that you can spot them in friends, family and children. Thyroid cancer is, unfortunately, one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States.

Visit the website, thyroidawarenessmonth.com.

Dirtiest River on Earth

2011-12-31T23:52:00.000-06:00

The Citarum River

Once upon a time, the Citarum River was rich in fish and wildlife. Local villagers caught fish and used river water to irrigate rice paddies and vegetable plots. They bathed, cooked and drank the river water.

In the 1980s, textile factories started operations. Now, more than 500 factories line the banks of the 200-mile river, many of them leaking chemicals into the water.

Polluted Beyond Belief

The Citarum River in West Java in Indonesia is a living (or dying) example of how much damage humans seem to be willing to cause to their environment.

Beneath the Trash is the Citarum River

The river remains as the sole source of both drinking and irrigation water for millions of people, including those living along the river. There are three hydroelectric power plants with dams along this river. The river is also a garbage dump, sewer system and industrial waste disposal facility for the region.

Villager in boat collects recyclable items from Citarum River

(AP Photo/Kusumadireza)

Today the Citarum River has the reputation of being one of the most polluted river in the world! Villagers who can no longer catch fish in it, pick through the pollution that carpets it, to try to earn a living by recycling materials pulled from the river.

This is what happens when nine million people throw their trash and corporations dump hazardous waste in a river. The Citarum River in West Java. Indonesia is choked with plastic, loaded with chemicals and human waste.

Dead fish, poisoned by mercury, unable to survive in the polluted water.

The water from Citarum River is treated for human consumption in the larger town and cities. In small villages, they may wrap a towel or sock around the waterspout. The villagers use this water to bathe, wash and cook. Luckily, the villagers will boil the water before drinking it. Boiling will take care of bacteria, but boiling is useless against heavy metals and toxic chemicals.

River Clean Up Possible

In December 2008, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) granted a US$500 million loan to the government for clean-up operations. Over a 15-year period, the ADB money should allow the government to rehabilitate the entire river basin.

However, the People’s Alliance for Citarum (ARUM), an NGO, is concerned about corruption in the allocation of the ABD funding, and the project’s effectiveness.As well they should be concerned: Java is known for its corruption.

Until consensus on how the money will be spent is reached, the river of garbage will continue to flow and the people will continue to suffer the consequences.