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Weekly Science Update - Your Health and the Health of Your Environment

Your Health

Why Does Hair Go Gray? I wonder that sometimes as I notice newer gray hairs - at my browline - everyday. Some attribute it to stress or age or an indicator of wisdom. It's is actually a tell-tale sign of biochemical process slowing down. Read more here.

At Christmas time, all of the young children I know received at least one present in common - a video game system or related accesories. Though a fan of Sega Genesis and Atari, I was curious how (and why) some parents would spend so much money on this type of plaything in such a precarious economic environment? However, I'm also concerned about the children themselves. For many children, well-off and poor alike, video entertainment (systems and internet) have become their sole entertainment. They seem less interested in going outside to play, reading a book (maybe a graphic that mimics a game), and definitely less interested in homework and interacting with others. Coming across this article that Video games linked to poor relationships with friends, family really seemed to hit the nail on the head for me.

Your Environment

Again this economic crisis has caused me to think more heavily about how I (and we as a society) spend my/our time and resources. Now, more than ever, I think Going Green! has many, many benefits - saving money, stretching a dollar, getting more exercise, stimulating creativity, enjoying the simple things, helping the environment. Plus, I've always been a proponent of green advocacy as a means to improved the lives of our more financially vulnerable citizens. Now, a new study from Scotland provides some empirical evidence to why Going Green! benefits the poor - 'Green' Neighborhoods Reduce Mortality for the Poor.

There may be a new Indicator Species on the block- Wall Lizards. Environmental science researchers from Italy have found that wall lizards may be reliable early detectors for toxins and other pollutants from onshore oil drilling activity. Lizards from towns downwind from the processing plants bloods had very high levels of toxins that negatively affect the lizards and humans. Read more here.

Green for All Demands Green Jobs Now

Green for All is just that, an environmental and economic movement that is for EVERYONE. The Wealthy. The Poor & Disenfranchised. Students. Urbanites. Small Town Folk. And Green for All is demanding Green Jobs Now – to save our world and our communities.

Living Green isn’t just about respecting and protecting the earth. It’s also about living this life well and with security. No one should have to worry about energy costs vs. quality nutrition. These issues are as much environmental as they are economic and about social justice.

Money + Environment = Green Economy

I’m ready to eradicate poverty.

I’m ready to live more responsibly and take care of my community & neighbors, nature & my environment, and fiscally.

I’m ready for a Green Economy. Are you?

Join me in spreading the word about Green for All and demand Green Jobs Now!
Visit the website and check out the Green Jobs Now Video to learn more about the movement and ways you can participate.

Go Green, Live Green, Save Green, Make Green!

Wordless Wednesday: Energy Crisis and Transportation Addiction

From the TreeHugger article: We Don't Have an Energy Crisis, We Have a Transportation Crisis
by Lloyd Alter. Most of our (US) petroleum is for transportation purposes. If we modify our transportation habits, our gas crisis might be better managed.

World Environment Day

Happy World Environment Day ! World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

This year's slogan for 2008 is Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy. Recognizing that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era, the UNEP (United Nations Environment Progam) is asking countries, companies and communities to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them. The World Environment Day will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption.

Like my other UN-related entries, I'm learning alot about the UN and their programs.

I bring these things to my readers, because I find them worthy of sharing. I find among my real life associates and my colleagues in the AfroSpear, such global and environmental topics are rarely discussed.

Be Informed. Go Green!

International Day for Biological Diversity

The Natural Sciences Division of UNESCO have dcleared May 22 as International Day of Biodiversity. This year’s theme dedicated to “Biodiversity and Agriculture,” seeks to highlight the importance of sustainable agriculture not only to preserve biodiversity, but also to ensure that we will be able to feed the world, maintain agricultural livelihoods, and enhance human well being into the 21st century and beyond.

The Natural Sciences division implements major international programs around several major themes. These themes include Freshwater, marine, ecology, earth sciences and basic sciences, while at the same time promoting national and regional science and technology polices and capacity building in the sciences, engineering and renewable energy. The division focuses on solving problems and enabling people/institutions (from those regions where the problems exist) to solve these problems.

Emphasis is given to developing countries, in particular to Africa and to natural disaster prevention. Programs are designed to respond to the international goals and challenges of climate change, gender equality, the eradication of poverty and sustainable development, in particular in small island developing states.

Celebrate Biological Diversity. Go Green!
UNESCO acts as an advocate for science, as a platform for sharing ideas and standard setting, and promotes dialogue between scientists and policy makers. It empowers and catalyses innovative initiatives in the field of international cooperation in science, in particular through networks and capacity building activities.

Save money on gas

Two ways to go green without the extreme costs of hybrid technology.

The Set back - if you're a big guy - like my dad - these are not for you. What a shame, because these cars are affordable and the fuel efficiency and carbon footprint is much smaller than typical American Cars.

Also check out these wild and crazy ideas to save the environment.

Happy Earth Day!!

Go Green!

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. - The Dream Reborn

credit - http://www.summit.mccsc.edu/

It was just after dinner time, around 7 o'clock in the evening, forty years ago today, that a peacemaker and rights advocate was forever silenced. Though more commonly credited for the eruption of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, Dr. King was a Human Rights Advocate. He championed the cause of the oppressed, economically, socially, and politically disenfranchised. In fact, he was refining his advocacy focus in 1968 and had embarked upon the Poor People's Campaign. His advocacy visit in Memphis was apart of that campaign.

Now it is a new day, a new millennium, in fact. But there are still poor people and that campaign needs rekindling. An organization, called Green For All, has re-ignited Dr. King's torch of justice and advocacy - for both people and the environment - The Green Collar Jobs Campaign! There is a conference in Memphis, TN, this weekend, the commemorative weekend of Dr. King's assassination, to celebrate his life and legacy of advocacy.

Right now, there are no other issues that are more paramount to this world than the environment. But for whatever reason, the Black Community is largely absent and the traditional Black Advocacy organizations are silent. That is a shame, because the state of the environment affects us all and we have a responsibility to sustain it and be sustained by it.

“In an ecological age, it’s not like the environment is separate from Black people. We have this fantasy that somehow the white people are supposed to deal with the environment and the polar bears and the whales, and I guess we live on some other planet. But the reality is that when the environment is poisoned, our children get poisoned first. So we should be the foremost environmentalists." - Van Jones, Founder of the Green For All founding president of Green For All talking about The Dream Reborn Conference, hosted by Green for All in Memphis, TN, at the Cook Convention Center April 4-6, 2008. Excerpt taken from an article in the Tri-State Defender.

The Dream Reborn Conference will host over 1000 people coming together to celebrate MLK's extraordinary life and present positive solutions from today's generation of visionary leaders to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

Go Green for the New Year - Take Baby Steps

Okay, I will belabour this point...Go Green!
It is a world imperative that we (humans) use our natural resources wisely. Although being green is now an eco-political movement, it is not new. Not so long ago, many of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents lived very modest lives. As a child (I grew up in the 80's), I remember my grandmothers restricting my access to the refrigerator (don't leave it open), making me turn off lights if I wasn't in the room, not allowing me to turn the light on if the sun was shining bright (open the window), scrapping my food scraps in a slop container, planting a vegetable garden, handing out scrap paper for arts & crafts, not letting us grandkids play with running water in the bathroom, no running in & out of the house, drinking from a re-useable cup, and insisting that we not waste toilet paper.

In memory of both of my grandmothers and their conservative spirits, I am faving Treehugger and their committment to helping us all Go Green! Green is for the environment and the money you save when you conserve natural resources. Read up and take a small step or three in the greener direction.

10 Technologies that will change your life

LiveScience.com has again assembled a great top ten list, this time technologies (some in progress, others yet to be completed) that WILL change our lives. Check it out.

It is projected that these new technologies will improve our lives - individually and as a society.
However, some of these technologies will likely be expensive or use-specific, so the need for everyone will be hit or miss....but it will have an impact, nonetheless.

I'm especially eager about # 10 - Digital Libraries; # 6 - Better, Cheaper Solar cells to provide electricity to the grid (go green!); #2 - Therapeutic Cloning, and #1 - Creating a Hydrogen Economy and getting off the oil (go green!).

You techies, might be all geeked about #8 - Pervasive Wireless Internet (it's not quite everywhere yet, but they're working on it); #5 - Location Based Computing (just point at anything and click and you're at the website); #4 - Desktop 3-D Printing (create your own designs and blueprints at home or work); and #3 - Moore's Law Upheld (computing technology does keep getting better, faster, and smaller).

Green New Year's Resolutions for 2008

Happy New Year!

Making resolutions? Lose weight. Stop cursing. Call home more. Study hard. Finish that renovation project. Reduce your carbon emissions.

Make 2008 a leaner year...on the environment. Even the New York Ball Drop New Year's Celebration went green. You can, too.
1st, Measure your environmental footprint. Then check out this simple list for 10 Ways to Green your Home. Many of the ideas are simple and easy. You can do it.

Have a green new year.

African-American attitudes toward the environment

youngblackprofessional guide posted an essay about this topic earlier today.

Does black culture care about the environment?

I posted a couple of response comments about the topic. But of course, this has been a rally call of mine for some time. See blog entries about environment education.

Interesting topic. I'm VERY glad the Black Blog-o-sphere is at least bringing the topic to the fore. Keep it up. A regular introduction of science and environmental topics would be great, too. Because being well informed about current issues in science and technology is ybp, too.

But only one note to the essay's author, Fredric, AAEA's isn't the only blog discussing environmental issues, this one is too.