Thanks to Jeannie, we now have a spruced up color scheme that is more buoyant and snappy!

As has been true, but is likely unknown by many, you can choose your own color scheme from a small palette of available options. Simply click on the little colorful icon at the bottom right of every page (...

Smoke from Tacoma area wood stoves poses health risks significantly higher than elsewhere in the state, according to a new study.

The study of airborne toxics in Tacoma and Seattle, released Wednesday by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, showed emissions from diesel and gasoline engines were far and away the biggest culprits.

But in Tacoma, the risks from wood smoke were as much as seven times higher than is typical in other urban areas. Potential health effects include cancer, lung damage, heart disease and nerve damage.

[…] But in Tacoma, the risks from wood smoke were as much as seven times higher than is typical in other urban areas. Potential health effects include cancer, lung damage, heart disease and nerve damage.

[…] Primarily because of wood smoke, Tacoma is the state’s only federal “nonattainment area,” the label given to locations that persistently exceed federal air standards.

[…] Under this year’s program, owners and renters with old wood stoves can...

A 2008 ABC report has now been backed up by a more detailed Guardian interview with Curveball, who apparently started the whole “Weapons of Mass Destruction” story, used to justify our entry into Iraq – and the killing of some 100K civilians. One wonders what happened to the fact checkers in the US…

“Seven retired admirals and generals hired by the military as consultants will end their advisory roles rather than comply with new regulations requiring them to divulge outside income to avoid a conflict of interest.

The former officers are among 158 Pentagon retirees known as "senior mentors" who have been identified in USA TODAY stories as getting as much as $440 an hour to offer advice on war plans and weapons systems.

A USA TODAY investigation found that 80% of the mentors had financial ties to defense contractors that they were not required to reveal to the public.”

- www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-01-20-1Amentors20_ST_N.htm



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Tired of measuring our ‘success’ based only on our Gross Domestic Product? Well, Bhutan and now Brazil and Canada measure the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH). GNH is measured with surveys and objective indicators.

Sustainable Seattle, in collaboration with Take Back Your Time is launching its fifth set of regional sustainability indicators. They follow this global model. You can take the survey – and smile at the results - at www.sustainableseattle.org/sahi.



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Although this is several years old now I thought it useful to make sure this report was linked to from this site:

www.iere.org/energy/Vashon-Summary.pdf

The report looked at various options but based on the engineering analysis from part I, focused on the economics of tidal power, wind energy, solar photovoltaics & biomass gasification. Their recommendations:

Conclusions and Recommendations

The above analysis screens four renewable energy technologies for Vashon Island. The reader is reminded that tidal power cost and performance are broadly estimated, wind energy is analyzed with the most detail, and solar pv and biomass gasification are in the middle. Screening on the basis of nominal levelized COE for plants with COE's under $0.1200/kWh, say, would select all wind cases (reflecting fast and slow wind speeds, taking or not the PTC or REPI); would exclude solar photovoltaics, would include that biomass where capital...

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

– http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/



It is sad to see that the number of national – and state – security organizations have ballooned since 9/11 – despite the effort to consolidate efforts under the Department of Homeland Security. With openness and transparency a hallmark of civilized society, it is a bleak commentary that we have been forced to spend so much public funds on what is essentially overhead, an unproductive...

The results of a new Gallup International survey used 64,000 people from 53 countries to draw up a Global Barometer of Hope and Despair. Not too surprisingly, the happiest people didn’t live in the richest countries. Exactly what I’ve observed while travelling…

Melvin found this great site that lets you investigate politico’s voting records and contrast them with your own values. Check it out at:

www.votesmart.org

How our blog system works - by default:

- The home page displays the most recent 3 blogs from anyone.

- The Blogs page (http://vashongreen.org/Blogs.aspx) displays the most recent 10 entries from anyone.

- An individual blog page (e.g., http://vashongreen.org/Blogs/TomHerring.aspx) displays the most recent 10 blog entries from that person.

Viewing Older Entries However, if you click on the "Searching All Blog Entries Alternatively, try the search functionality: go to the general blog page or an individual’s blog page - i.e., just not the home page. In the "Search Blogs" widget on the right column, enter something like "Obama" or "Norwegian" , then click the "Search" button. You'll see all entries that contain any of those “Keywords”, or that exact “Phrase” if you wish.

Displaying All Blog Entries If you don’t enter anything (or something that starts with a space) then click the “Search” button you’ll see all...