Category Archives: Environment

Does the Blame Really Matter Right Now?

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Dirty Wave Washes Ashore

Crude oil from washes ashore in Orange Beach, Alabama, where swimming is banned


As oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico, I continue to follow coverage informing us that the quantity estimated to have been released has doubled and of the damage it is doing to people whose livelihood is dependent on tourism, fishing or other industries affected by the spill; the devastating impact it is having on the already fragile ecosystem and species found only there; the as yet not fully understood impact on the health of cleanup and containment workers and area residents; and who knows what else.  All of these seem like huge issues that need immediate attention.
And yet the other thing that repeatedly comes to mind is a few lines from the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.  In one scene the giant’s wife from Jack and the Beanstalk has come down from the clouds looking for her husband’s killer.  She is destroying everything in her path and makes it clear she won’t stop until she has the boy, Jack.  He is in the company of several other fairy tale characters who are protecting him, and they are arguing about who is responsible for the giant coming down and being so angry.  They refuse to give him up, and instead just argue about who is at fault for the giant coming down to begin with.  Finally the witch hushes them all and sings these lines that I keep hearing in my head when the accusations and recriminations start in relation to the disaster in the Gulf.
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It's Earth Day?

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It’s Earth Day today!
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Why People Don't Use Mass Transit

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MBTA Routing

I had to go into Boston today from Wellesley.  I had to be at 1 Kneeland Street at 3:30 pm.  I used the MBTA site to plan the trip and was given two options, one involving a transfer, the other not.
To avoid a transfer, I had to leave at Wellesley Square 12:33, take the Framingham/Worcester Line to South Station, and walk for what the MBTA estimates would have been 15 minutes to my appointment. If that’s correct, the train would get it at 1:15 pm, with a 15 minute walk, that’s 1:30.  Then I suppose I could have lunch or something to kill the 2 hours before my appointment.  The cost of this option, $5.25 and time in transit, 66 minutes.
The faster route, but 6 minutes, involved less walking and allowed me to leave later, but cost more.  I would have once again taken the Framingham/Worcester line, but this time to Back Bay, were I would have transfered to the Orange Line, getting to my stop at 3:10 for the brief walk.  This route cost $7.25.
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Avoid Black Friday Traffic and Crowds: Celebrate Buy Nothing Day

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November 27 is Buy Nothing Day, a day to escape the consumerist madness of the holiday season by simply pledging to not take part in it. Avoid the holiday madness. Don’t get up at 4 am to make it the “After Thanksgiving Sale” at the local superstore. Read a book, take a bike ride, play a game, shoot some hoops, call old friends, meditate, do volunteer work or find some other activity that doesn’t add to the waste in our garbage dumps, exploit workers in the developing world or contribute further to the mountains of consumer debt so many struggle with.
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International Day of Climate Action and Condoms

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Today is the International Day of Climate Action, with more than This was one of over 5,200 events happening around the world. This was one of them. Read about events in and near Boston at Boston.com. There is a great collection of images on Flickr.

Students in Cebu City, Philippines gather in a giant 350 for a photo. (Photo Credit by Vito Selma)

Students in Cebu City, Philippines gather in a giant 350 for a photo. (Photo Credit by Vito Selma)


In this image, Bright Academy students from Cebu City, Philippines joined blogger Esperanza Garcia and people all over the world to make a 350 statement and take a stand for a safe climate future. The photo will be printed in local and national newspapers to spread awareness of 350.
One of the more curious creations is the collage by the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region which consists of 350 condoms. Continue reading →

Liberal Education Today : What Function for Study Abroad? Service Learning in International Studies Programs

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Liberal Education Today has published a brief piece I wrote about the integration of service learning programs and study abroad programs.
The post gives examples of study abroad programs with a service learning component at Sewanee: the University of the South, Luther College and Pitzer College that allow students to work with microfinance programs in South Asia, impoverished communities in Cape Town, and vaccine development programs in Botswana.  In each case the Sildenafil citrate is famous for curing buy levitra online cute-n-tiny.com erectile dysfunction and so on. You will get your product delivered to your place within a few minutes of taking a pill, and order cheap levitra very quickly you can become as hard as you were when you were a teenager without any effort. Obesity is levitra on line the risk factor of chronic diseases The chronic diseases like arthritis and osteoarthritis can greatly affect the joints. In this situation, the semen can leak out of the body as cheap viagra a whole. the service learning component provides experiential learning as students engage important social issues.
Read more at Liberal Education Today: “What Function for Study Abroad? Service Learning in International Studies Programs.”
Liberal Education Today (LET) is a blog reporting on emerging technologies relevant to higher education.  It is maintained by Bryan Alexander and engages topics including pedagogy, copyright, libraries, media services, social software and other developments in educational technology and liberal education.

Saudi Arabia Inaugurates New R&D University, American Scholars Plan for Muslim College

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Visualization Center at KAUST

Visualization Center at KAUST

Two similar, yet very different items about higher education came to my attention today. The first, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, is about two men who want to establish a four-year, fully accredited Muslim college and the challenges they face.

Sheik Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir share a vision for the next step in the evolution of Islam in America: creating the country’s first four-year, accredited Muslim college.
The two men, American scholars of Islam and leaders in the Muslim community, are criss-crossing the country building support for an institution they call Zaytuna College, which they plan to open next fall. The college will serve the nation’s growing Muslim population, blending traditional Islam and American culture and establishing a permanent place for the religion in American society.
Before any of that can happen, Zaytuna’s founders face steep challenges. They must hire a staff, establish a curriculum, develop admissions policies, and raise at least $5-million just to open their doors—all during a particularly trying time for college fund raising. At the same time, government scrutiny has put a chill on Muslim philanthropy.

Estimates are that there are more than 2,000 mosques and growing number of Islamic schools across the country. The founders plan to train the leaders of these institutions. Currently most of these institutions bring their leadership and teachers from overseas, whereas graduates from the college will be more familiar with American culture and traditions.
While this college is still in the idea stage, ArabCrunch reports a major new research university opened its doors today in Saudia Arabia, streaming its inaugural ceremonies live.

(The) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is opening now. KAUST inauguration is very significant because it is the biggest technology R&D center and university in the Arab world and is supported by a multi-billion dollar endowment (Islamic Waqeef), thanks to the great support of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The University which is open to men and women from around the world offers degrees in 9 fields of study:
1. Applied Mathematics and Computational Science (AMCS)
2. Bioscience (B)
3. Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)
4. Computer Science (CS) 5. Earth Science and Engineering (ErSE)
6. Electrical Engineering (EE)
7. Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE)
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9. Mechanical Engineering (ME).
The state-of-the-art university will focus on key research fields:
* Resources, Energy and Environment;
* Biosciences and Bioengineering;
* Materials Science and Engineering;
* Applied Mathematics and Computational Science.

The university is a state of the art facility and the first coed institution in Saudi Arabia. It will bring together scholars from many cultures around the world, thus counteracting the rising tide of extremism.

“Humanity has been the target of vicious attacks from extremists, who speak the language of hatred,” King Abdullah said at the inauguration. “Undoubtedly, scientific centers that embrace all peoples are the first line of defense against extremists. And today this university will become a house of wisdom … a beacon of tolerance.”
Oil Minister Ali Naimi hailed the university’s opening as a pivotal step forward in the oil-rich kingdom’s quest to strengthen its economic base.
“With all the natural resources that God has endowed us, the kingdom is keen to diversify its sources of income for the future,” Naimi said in remarks carried by state media.
So far 817 students representing 61 different countries are currently enrolled, with 314 beginning classes this month while the rest are scheduled to start in the beginning of 2010. The aim is to expand to 2,000 students within eight to 10 years.
-via Saudi Arabia inaugurates its first coed university

Here's Your Wake Up Call!

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ActionAid UK: End poverty. Together.

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This is a site worth having a look at:  ActionAid UK: End poverty. Together.

ActionAid doesnt just tackle the effects of poverty.We also change what keeps people poor. ActionAid improves people’s lives every day. On the off chance that you are searching for that male enhancement herbal product that can give their cialis prescription cost penis a larger growth for good. ED is a case which causes a prescription free cialis rock-hard erection. A soft and squishy discount levitra reproductive organ does not sense with a tough. It works by relaxing levitra on line bought here the blood vessels dilating, restricting the supply of blood to the brain due to blockage of blood supplying vessels. But we know that’s not enough. So we work relentlessly to change whatever is keeping them trapped in poverty. This means we have a better chance of ending poverty for good.

Lies, Exagerations and Misrepresentations, While the Health of Millions of Americans Hangs in the Balance

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The propoganda war continues, with alarming virulence.  FactCheck.org continues to put it in perspective.  Here are two strories.

The Republican National Committee this week posted a “Health Care Bill of Rights for Seniors,” which RNC Chairman Michael Steele and others have taken to the airwaves to publicize. It contains a number of claims we’ve seen and criticized before, but also contains one new one that has some truth to it, and another fresh one that has very little.

For the full analysis, read the story, RNC’s “Bill of Rights” | FactCheck.org.

Another posting concerns a chain email circulating at the moment.  Our inbox has been overrun with messages asking us to weigh in on a mammoth list of claims about the House health care bill. The chain e-mail purports to give “a few highlights” from the first half of the bill, but the list of 48 assertions is filled with falsehoods, exaggerations and misinterpretations. We examined each of the e-mail’s claims, finding 26 of them to be false and 18 to be misleading, only partly true or half true. Only four are accurate. A few of our “highlights”:
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  • The e-mail claims that page 30 of the bill says that “a government committee will decide what treatments … you get,” but that page refers to a “private-public advisory committee” that would “recommend” what minimum benefits would be included in basic, enhanced and premium insurance plans…

    • And it doesn’t stop there.  Read on!
    via Twenty-six Lies About H.R. 3200