To weayaya

Re: purchasing food locally…

The closer the better. Unfrozen meats at a local market, vegetables and fruit from local stands or market. We live near a very productive farming area in southern Ontario with great roadside stands that carry all local fresh produce, from the field to your table.

Not bruised from a 1,200 mile ride, picked prematurely so it partially ripens enroute.

Thanks for the visit.

Randy

Automobile Pollution Consequences

It is believed that at this growth rate, the number of cars on earth will double within the next 30 years. …

Source: World Watch Institute

Link: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1537

Michael Renner: Senior Researcher

In 2002, the world’s passenger car fleet hit 531 million. A quarter of these cars were in the United States, a country with just five percent of the world’s population, and a long known love affair for the automobile. The average car in the US travels 10 percent more each year than a car in the United Kingdom, about 50 percent more than one in Germany, and almost 200 percent more than a car in Japan.

And while Americans drive less fuel-efficient cars—the carbon emissions of U.S. automobiles are roughly equivalent to those of the entire Japanese economy – the fourth largest carbon emitter—efforts to raise mandated fuel efficiency standards in the U.S. are hitting constant road blocks.

End of excerpt.

Author’s comment:

I have had Asthma/COPD for the past 9 years. It has changed my life and the way I’m forced to live it 180 degrees, it happened overnight, gasping for breath unable to retrieve any air I expelled…I thought I was dying on the spot. I have survived by using 3 powerful drugs; some may contribute to an early death as a side effect! I was forced to end all sports, walk slowly…like an old man. This may be a result of chemicals from work, air pollution..no one has a definitive answer.

End of comment.

Asthma Epidemic Worldwide

Source: beating-asthma.com

Link: http://www.beating-asthma.com/asthma-statistics.html

Asthma Statistics Just Keep On Rising And Rising!

Asthma statistics show that more and more people have been diagnosed with the condition over the past years – so much so that some researchers state that the incidence of asthma has reached epidemic levels all over the world – and there has been plenty of research to support this evidence.

Because the numbers of people with asthma have risen so drastically, countries all over the world now recognise that this is a concern.

 

Asthma Statistics Worldwide

Approximately 300 million people worldwide have currently been diagnosed with asthma. And this number increases by an alarming 50% every decade!

The UK has the highest number of cases( over 15%), followed by New Zealand (with 15.1%), Australia (14.7%), the Republic of Ireland (14.6%), Canada (14.1%) and the United States(10.9%).

Approximately 180,000 people die every year through asthma related illness. It’s estimated that about 1 in every 250 deaths worldwide are related to asthma (American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology 2004). Overall, death rates have been falling since the 1980s.

Most asthma deaths occur in people over 45 years old and is it thought that many of these could be prevented.

Asthma Statistics USA

It’s estimated that 23.2 million people in the USA suffer from asthma – a figure that continues to rise year on year – Asthma and allergies strike affect 1 out of every 4 Americans according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.

It’s the major chronic illness of children in the USA. Nearly 9 million children under the age of 18 (that’s 12% of all children) have been diagnosed with the condition and children miss much of their schooling due to chronic illness from the condition (over 12.8 million school days are lost each year according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology).

Comment:

If we as a Society believe, that the weak and inferior will be the first to go, and we accept that as Nature’s way, I say we are wrong! Nature is not the source of the poisons killing the weak and possibly genetically inferior, we are. The first to die may not be genetically inferior at all; they might be the most genetically pure?

Our World and the Environment in which we live is being altered in ways we don’t yet understand. Those that die today may only be the “tip of the Iceberg”, foreshadowing a horrendous future for all of Humanity. We do not know if the environmental toxins, produced by industry, are literally degrading our very genetic makeup, damning mankind to oblivion.

Cargo Ship Emissions

Authors Note: Number of ships on Earth.

**It has been estimated that only 7,000 cargo ships produce as much pollution as every car on Earth. This is 7,000 out of over 50,000 ships. That would mean, estimate, cargo ships Worldwide currently produce 7 times the automotive pollution produced in The World. This will increase dramatically in the very near future.

Source: Friends of the Earth

Link: http://www.foe.org/air-and-water/ship-emissions

 

Ship Air Pollution

As at 1st January 2008, the world trading fleet was made up of 50,525 ships, with a combined tonnage of 728,225,000 gross tonnes.

The amount of air pollution produced by ocean-going vessels is staggering.   A single cargo ship can produce as much air pollution as 350,000 cars in an hour.  These large, ocean-going ships operate on diesel engines the size of a single-family home, and most burn “bunker” fuel, which is cheap, but much more polluting than fuels used to power vehicles.  Bunker fuel contains high concentrations of toxic compounds banned from use in most other industrial and consumer applications.

As global trade increases, global shipping is expected to double within the next decade,   bringing shipping pollution to new highs.  EPA estimates that emissions from ocean-going vessels will double their contributions to the national mobile source inventory of sulfur oxides and quadruple particulate matter—both of which are major health threats.   According to EPA, by 2030 shipping is expected to grow nearly three-fold over 2000 levels.   This increased level of shipping not only degrades air quality, but also contributes to the acidification and eutrophication of waterways through deposition and carbon dioxide emissions.

McCain delays Vice Presidential Debate

Sarah’s NOT Ready??

September 24, 2008

 

            Senator McCain has proposed returning to Washington, where he hasn’t been involved in a vote since April, to become involved in the “Bailout debate.” This is a political stunt, to appear decisive and Presidential; it also delays this Friday’s debate with Senator Obama. More critically to the voters, it delays the Vice Presidential debates, why?  Sarah is unprepared because of her lack of experience in World Affairs.

            To delay a debate that both candidates, McCain and Palin are unprepared for, is showing great potential Presidential fortitude ..not, and probable future behavior if elected.

Glenn Beck’s guest’s comments..

Guest Statement: “Re-distribution of wealth…..”

 

September 4, 2008.

 

            I have just nearly laughed myself sick, being an Asthmatic; this could be a major issue. A guest of Glenn Beck on CNN, channel 31 in Canada – second tier, to fill time on the “Second Channel”, had a guest that commented about Barack Obama and a so called major re-distribution of wealth. “YUK-YUK-YUK, hack cough spit, chuckle, gasp, gasp…!

          The supposed re-distribution of wealth being discussed is; the multi-millionaires and billionaires that have profited for 8 long years under Bush, finally losing their personal tax cuts that profited 1% of The American people for nearly a decade.

          The tax cuts proposed by Obama on the other hand, benefit 95% of The American people. Somewhat more fair the average “joe” might believe. I am an average joe and have been abused by the wealthy regarding my taxes since I began work, at age 13 my first job, until now at 57 I know we are used and abused by the “upper class as it has always been.” The peoples of Democracies all over the World share the same abuse, and have always suffered at the hands of the wealthy since the very beginning.

          The Republican Party, George Bush and Dick Cheney, are part of the ruling class, those that have rewarded other wealthy friends with Billions of dollars in tax breaks, they now want to make permanent, for the poor Millionaires and Billionaires that share their belief: “the poor should pay all the bills of a nation – forever. This sounds suspiciously like the attitude of Marie Antoinette and King Louis the XVI, as the country crumbled about them, they enjoyed the good life! Sound familiar?

 

IRAN – IN CONTROL?

IRAN PULLING THE STRINGS??

            Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his militia to “stand down”, the Iraqi Government is still attacking some of the less disciplined members of said militia. This was one approximately 24 hours after they took to the streets to re-ignite the chaos they are so familiar with. The so called truce was brokered by Iraqi and Iranian Government officials in a hastily called meeting. Military and Intelligence sources suspect the switch was turned ON & OFF at the behest of Iran.

           Mortar attacks continue sporadically in the Green Zone in Baghdad, with only minor injuries reported, everyone is keeping their heads down. I suspect the violence will increase in the runup to the election in November, this will be done to influence the Presidential hopefuls. This is a not to subtle message being sent to America, her enemies in The Middle East know they can have an influence in the elections.

           Certain governments believe the violence, which most Americans are tired of, will end quickly once the Democrats elect the next President. There are many statements to that effect from nearly all the Democratic contenders, those in and out of the race. They then believe after America leaves Iraq the door will be open for them to step in and dominate Iraq.

The next President cannot walk away and leave that ruined country to even greater chaos.

CHINA – Olympic Torch Ceremony

Security surrounds Olympic Torch ceremony 

March 31, 2008

           The Olympic torch arrived in Beijing today, amid “iron clad” security. Citizens were not allowed within 1 mile of the invitation only group of government officials, secret police and army troops. China really doesn’t get the Olympic spirit! It did however ensure there would be NO demonstrations of any sort in front of the cameras.           The torch will not set off on a month long tour, covering 85,000 miles in a global public relations tour. This world tour will be the longest in Olympic history; China will not relish the attention she is likely to receive worldwide. This trip was planned long before the Tibetan protests began, I suspect that long before the trek is over Chinese Government officials will wish they had never invaded peaceful Tibet.