Obama considers off-shore drilling

Obama would consider off-shore drilling as part of comprehensive energy plan
By MICHAEL C. BENDER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, August 01, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said today he would be willing to open Florida's coast for more oil drilling if it meant winning approval for broad energy changes.

"My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.


"If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done," Obama said.

Off-shore drilling has become a push-button issue in the presidential campaign since Republican candidate John McCain announced his support to open more of the country's coastline for drilling in order to reduce gas prices. Both candidates are campaigning in Florida today.

Obama has opposed exposing more coastline to drilling, saying that oil companies have not fully explored the areas open to drilling now and insisting that it would have little immediate impact on prices at the pump.

After speaking to a capacity crowd at Gibbs High School auditorium in St. Petersburg, he told the Post he would be open to expanding the current drilling boundaries if it meant winning approval for more fuel-efficient cars, developing alternative energy sources and making the country more "energy independent."

"I think it's important for the American people to understand we're not going to drill our way out of this problem," he said.

"It's also important to recognize if you start drilling now you won't see a drop of oil for ten years, which means its not going to have a significant impact on short-term prices. Every expert agrees on that."

McCain has tried to paint Obama as an obstacle to lower gas prices in a pair of television ads that boast McCain's off-shore drilling position while blaming Obama for $4-per-gallon gas. Neither of the ads have targeted Florida voters.

Once a taboo topic in Florida politics, some Republicans in the state, including Gov. Charlie Crist, have said they'd be willing to explore Florida's coast to combat soaring gas prices.

"The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the interview. "And so we don't want gridlock. We want to get something done."

Meanwhile, watch as McCain makes his statement on off-shore drilling here:

Get ready to Dump the Pump!

Tomorrow is National Dump the Pump Day!

People are encouraged to leave their their cars at home and instead, discover the benefits of public transportation. As the slogan of this holiday states, SAVE THE MONEY, SAVE THE PLANET.

So why not take the bus or ride the train (in Florida- the Tri-Rail) ? You'll just have to sit back and relax while the bus or train safely takes you to your destination. You won't have to worry about wasting gas or polluting the environment.

Now that's what I call a great idea!

Need more reasons to dump the pump?

UPDATE: June 20, 2008
Below: As an incentive to get riders on public transportation, Tri-Rail joined with other agencies to celebrate "Dump The Pump Day" in Palm Beach County Thursday, June 19, 2008.

Photo and caption by Palm Beach Post photographer Chris Matula.

Study: Guys with "green" cars get all the babes

The results of recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors are in: girls dig guys who drive ecologically-conscious cars.

Among the findings (as published on Yahoo.com):

-Nearly 9 in 10 women (88 percent) say they'd rather chat up someone who owns the latest fuel-efficient car versus the latest sports car.

-Eighty percent of American car buyers would find someone with the latest fuel-efficient car more interesting to talk to at a party than someone with the latest sports car.

-More than 4 out of 10 (45 percent) 18- to 43-year-olds say it's a fashion faux pas nowadays to have a car that's not green or environmentally friendly. (Of course, this doesn't mean that a man has run out and buy a hybrid right away. I mean if he can, great. But just as long as he drives a car that isn't a major offense against the environment and he makes the effort not to drive as much, or plan his trips accordingly, that's just as good.)

Recently a guy who drives a Hummer asked me out. I was coming out of the bank and there he was, standing in front of his H3, thinking he's all that, trying to make conversation. At some point, I asked him if he was aware of how much gas it wastes and how bad it is for the environment and he replied- "Well, it doesn't bother me. I can afford it, you know?" What a jerk! I wasn't interested anyway, but it's just perplexing how ignorant people are in regards of being kind to our planet.

Anyway, back to the study-it was part of a competition in which engineering students had to build vehicles utilizing innovative automotive technologies that would minimize the environmental impact of personal transportation and "illustrate pathways to a sustainable transportation future."

Personally, I totally agree with the study. To me, a man who's actually eco-conscious is incredibly attractive. (Other things taken into account as well, of course.)

I've never really cared about what kind of car a man drives. I had always thought that was superficial and irrelevant. But now things have changed. In these times when we really have to be aware of what kind of impact our actions have on our planet, I must say that I now do pay attention to things like that, not because I care how much money a guy makes or his "status," but because I care how much HE cares about the environment.

Now that's HOT!

Happy Earth Day!

Today, the planet celebrates Earth Day!

According to the New York Times, nearly 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970. In the decades since, Earth Day has spread across the globe with thousands of events in more than 180 countries.

From its beginning, the event influenced environmental politics, triggering such national legislation as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.

Organizers of the first celebration wrote in their manifesto:

"Earth Day is a commitment to make life better, not just bigger and faster.
It is a day to re-examine the ethic of individual progress at mankind's
expense."

Here, some agency pictures from today's Earth Day celebrations around the world:

Above, children paint pictures with soil to commemorate Earth Day in Panama City, Tuesday, April, 22, 2008.(AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)

Above, environmental activists perform on the eve of Earth Day in Makassar, Indonesia's South Sulawesi province, April 21, 2008. The performance is a call to protect trees on Earth. REUTERS/Yusuf Ahmad (INDONESIA)

Above, on the eve of the internationally recognized 'Earth Day,' Taipei's city government writes 'Cool Below 2 Degrees' on the side of the Taipei 101 building to address global warming in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, April 21, 2008.(AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Above, President George W. Bush, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, (R), and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L), shovel dirt before planting a tree in honor of Earth Day while in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2008.(Larry Downing/Reuters)

The most important thing to remember, though, is that Earth Day is not just today, it's everyday!

Farewell to Anita Roddick

This week, the world lost a dedicated activist and great fighter of the environment, human rights and other social causes: Anita Roddick.

Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, an international chain of cosmetics stores known for its vegetable-based products, died suddenly on Monday at the age of 64.

Roddick used her business to promote causes like ending animal testing and supporting the environment.

"Against Animal Testing," "Support Community Trade," "Activate Self-Esteem," "Defend Human Rights," and "Protect Our Planet," are the company's current slogans.

In an article published in The International Herald Tribune, England's Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls Roddick a "true pioneer."

Not only was she instrumental in banning animal testing in the production of cosmetic products, but she also was one of the first entrepeneurs to create an environmentally-conscious business.

"She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so, and inspired millions to the cause by bringing sustainable products to a mass market," Brown said.

Roddick's philosophy translated into her company's products. In June of last year, The Body Shop became 100% vegetarian, offering products with all-natural ingredients, including Strawberry Body Butter, Tea Tree Facial Wash, Coconut Milk Body Lotion and Camomile Eye Make-Up Remover.

Instant messaging your way to a better planet

Everyone IM's nowadays, so why not contribute to helping the planet while you're at it?

Thanks to i'm, a new initiative from Windows Live Messenger, you actually can.

The way the program works is this: every time you use Windows instant messaging service, Microsoft will share a portion of the service's ad revenue to the cause of your choice. Among your options, the initiative to "help explore and protect the planet" by choosing the Sierra Club. You can also help increase awareness and join the fight against global warming by choosing StopGlobalWarming.org.

Of course, the environment is not the only one that needs our help, so you can also choose among other organizations dedicated to causes of great importance, among them the American Red Cross and UNICEF. And the great thing is, you don't have to feel like once you've chosen a cause you can't help out another that might interest you. Actually, if you like, you can switch back and forth between the causes dearest to your heart by making the appropriate selection whenever you begin a new conversation (I tried it out myself so I know it works!).

This is what you need to do:

1. Download the Windows Live Messenger instant messenger service.
   
2. Before initiating a conversation, choose the cause of your choice next to your Display Name.


3. Start your conversation. While you chat with your friends or family members, you'll be contributing to the issue that is of most importance to you. Every conversation counts!
   

For more details, visit the i'm page and start making a difference!

Multimillionaire buys South American land to preserve environment

Douglas Tompkins, the American multimillionaire who founded the Esprit clothing line, recently purchased more than half a million acres of Esteros del Ibera, a vast marshland in Argentina.
But his intent, he says, is not to exploit the land, but rather, to save it.

The Ibera Wetlands are located in the Corrientes province, on the northeast side of the South American country. They are comprised of a mix of swamps, lakes and lagoons, which makes them one of the most important water reservoirs in the continent. The area also hosts a large biodiversity, among them the pampas deer , the neotropical river otter and the black howler monkey or caraya (shown above).

Tompkins, a committed environmentalist, invests in purchasing areas of great ecological significance. According to an article from the Associated Press, he does so in order to protect these territories and the environment within them from the abuse of agribusiness and industrial development, with the idea that he will one day return them to the government as nature reserves.

With the acquisition of this land, Tompkins adds to the previously purchased territory in Chile, making him the owner of well over 1 million acres of land in South America, a combined area as large as the size of Belgium.

Treasure Coast builds eco-friendly children's museum

The Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast, currently under construction, will be the first green commercial building in Martin County.

The new museum, which is being built at IndianRiverSide Park in Jensen Beach, will feature water-conserving bathroom fixtures, insulated windows, showers for people who ride a bike to work, and "special windows and air-conditioning sensors that will reduce the building's energy use by 20 to 30 percent," according to the Palm Beach Post's article "Children's Museum also preserves the environment."

Environment conservation has been a priority for the museum since the very beginning. The article explains that when part of 40-year old building was demolished, workers recycled about 75 percent of the waste including drywall, studs, concrete, plastic piping, metal and steel.

The next step is the application to the United States Green Building Council so that the museum is officially recognized as a green building by obtaining LEED certification.

Boca Raton favors more green construction

The city of Boca Raton is joining many other cities around the nation as it encourages developers to increase the construction of green buildings.

This according to an article from The Palm Beach Post, "Boca mulling incentives for an eco-friendly building," which talks about Boca Raton's Deputy Mayor Susan Whelchel efforts to help the environment with the building of such structures.

In order for a building to be officially considered "green," it must fulfill the standards established under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. This system was designed by The US Green Building Council (USGBC), a national coalition of members from every sector of the construction industry that seeks to "promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work."

Among the techniques used to make a green building , such as the one shown, are:

• 
  The use of organic or milk-based paints.
• The use of recycled materials.
• The use of packed gravel for parking lots instead of concrete or asphalt.
• The usage of materials manufactured near the building site so as to reduce the environmental impact of long-distance transportation.
• The installation of insulated glass windows and solar panels.
• The presence of wildflower or native plant gardens.

There are also many benefits attributed to green buildings, among them:

• Higher employee productivity.
• Improved health and increased sense of happiness among tenants.
• Lower energy and water bills.
• Less greenhouse gas emissions.
• Less impact on the environment overall.