Why we should buy from local farmers

Why we should buy from local farmers:
http://www.gardenmandy.com/real-reasons-why-we-should-buy-from-local-farmers/

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email posting 

Tuk-Tuks

Tuk-Tuk is the sound these make when they run.

In July 1998, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Delhi government to implement CNG or LPG (Autogas) fuel for all autos and for the entire bus fleet in and around the city. Delhi observed a dramatic improvement in the quality of air with the switch to CNG, and this is important for a city where it is not uncommon to see pedestrians and drivers wearing nurse's masks for protection against the prevalent city smog. Initially, auto rickshaw drivers in Delhi had to wait in long queues to get their CNG cylinders re-filled, but the situation has improved drastically with the rise of filling stations that sell CNG. Certain other local governments are also pushing for four-stroke engines instead of the current two-stroke versions. Typical mileage for an Indian-made auto rickshaw is around 35 kilometres per litre of petrol (about 2.9 L per 100 km, or 82 miles per gallon). Cambodian tuk-tuks are one piece.

They are the front end of a motorcycle comprising of steering, tank and engine/gearbox with a covered tray mounted at the back. The power is transferred by chain to an axle mounted to the modified rear fork which drives the two rear wheels. Suspended upon the rear fork is an open cabin with an in-line seat on each side. This arrangement can carry 6 people at ease, with their luggage in the leg space. It is not unusual to see these vehicles greatly overloaded, especially in outer suburbs and around markets. We recently reported on the unfortunate demise of the Bajaj 3-wheeler from the American market due to slow sales. Happily, a new brand of funky 3-wheelers is set to make its debut in the U.S. by way of Thailand. T

Tuk Tuk North America (TTNA) reports that its vehicles are currently undergoing EPA and NHTSA testing for road-use approval, though its line of trikes is reportedly already for sale for off-road use. Available in a number of passenger, cargo and truck body styles, the Tuk Tuk comes equipped with either a 200cc or 650cc version of a newly-designed, liquid-cooled four-stroke powerplant. This replaces the original two-stroker from which the vehicle received its funny-sounding name. TTNA also reports that its vehicles are available with both automatic and manual transmissions. Interestingly, the options page of the TTNA site shows an LPG kit which would convert the engine to run on dual fuels -- both liquefied petroleum and gasoline. http://www.tuktuknorthamerica.com/ Some of the models available have a Mitsubishi 650cc, water cooled gasoline engine that gets mid 50 mpg.

Economics

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c...

Global Research, July 16, 2008

With the economic news of the week of July 14—the continuing crisis among mortgage lenders, the onset of bank failures, the announced downsizing of General Motors, the slide of the Dow-Jones below 11,000—we are seeing the ongoing collapse of the U.S. economy.

Even the super-rich are becoming nervous as cries for an emergency suspension of short selling ring out.

What is really taking place, however, is that the producing economy of working men and women is being crushed by the overall debt burden on households, businesses, and governments that could reach $70 trillion by 2010. The financial system, including mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is bankrupt, as the debts it is based on cannot be repaid.

This is because the producing economy of people who work for a living simply can no longer generate enough purchasing power for people either to pay their debts or allow them to purchase what is being sold in the marketplace. In turn it is the debt burden and the loss of societal purchasing power that are crashing the stock market. Thus the collapse of the financial economy has started to destroy the producing economy as well.

It’s a “perfect storm,” the result of a 200-year-old financial system where money is largely created by bank lending and where since 1980 our industry and jobs have been increasingly outsourced abroad to cheap labor markets. Thus domestic incomes have stagnated while the nation’s GDP has not been able to keep up with the exponential growth of debt.

While the mainstream media are blind, deaf, and dumb as to the causes, the victims within the middle and working classes are seeing their livelihoods ruined, jobs taken away, pensions eroded, homes foreclosed on, and are being saddled with ever-increasing debt and forced to work under more and more stress due to rising burdens of taxation, gas and food price inflation, and bureaucratic rules and regulations. The only places a more-or-less normal life may still be possible will be the wealthiest imperial centers like Washington, New York, Houston, Chicago, or San Francisco.

All that the current bailouts being engineered by the Federal Reserve are doing is to create more debt to shore up failing financial institutions. No new wealth is being created. It’s band-aids on band-aids.

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The best-laid plants

A humble backyard garden yields no eco snobbery -- just the promise of good pie.

By Karen Stabiner
July 2, 2008

Real estate prices may be slipping, but the back section of our lot has to be worth its weight in, well, fuel. In the last eight weeks, that part of the yard has become home to include a dozen stalks of corn, 10 tomato plants, a bed of wild strawberries, wild and civilized arugula, two rhubarb plants, Italian parsley and thyme.

I am not a first-wave environmentalist. My Prius does not sport a carpool-access key on its bumper because I bought it only when gas topped $4 a gallon, long after the key allotment had been used up. I cannot say that I planted all this food because organic strawberries fetch almost $5 a basket and lettuce can barely recall the good old days when it was worth merely $1 a head. Or maybe I did. Maybe my subconscious totaled up the price of our dinner salad, or balked at $2 for a bunch of wilted herbs, and nudged me toward the seedling guy at the farmers' market. Price resistance is a big issue in retail, where people who still have jobs get paid to figure out how many customers they'll lose if they price a computer at $1,000 instead of $999.99. Spewing twenties at the market every Sunday morning seems finally to have caught up with me.

Food is expensive because it is hemmed in by fuel on both sides. The escalating price of gasoline means that shipping costs more. Forget the South American produce we shouldn't eat because its carbon footprint is the size of a clown shoe. Even the local produce we are supposed to eat has to get here -- in a truck that runs on gas -- from up the 5 or out the 101. As if that weren't trouble enough, the ethanol craze has farmers pulling up what we eat and planting corn that we may someday put in our cars. Less supply, stable demand: You get the expensive picture.

I suppose I could strike a politically correct stance, hoe in one hand, organic fertilizer in the other, and say that I planted the yard as a small gesture of rebellion, one woman's dinner-time revolt against oil dependence. To pull that off, I would need to be doing much more.

For starters, I would have to have a serious talk with the family dog about exactly how much lawn she needs. In a spasm of responsibility last year, we tore up the frontyard and put in a xeriscape -- again, not because we are pure of heart but because the grass was ugly, the water required to make it less ugly seemed excessive, and drought-resistant plants are hard to kill, even with benign neglect. I can't devote the entire backyard to produce: A dog needs a spot where a dog can be a dog.

In truth, I am not interested in self-sufficiency. For me, part of doing the right thing involves supporting the growers who populate the farmers' markets and who are as stuck in the fuel crunch as I am. I like talking to Moe, the dried-fruit guy, about our grown children, and I like giving his sidekick a hard time about not having voted in the presidential primary. I like peppers and asparagus and potatoes and cauliflower and nectarines and all the other things I have neither the room nor the inclination to plant. I run a kindergarten operation and I know it: Entry-level growing for the beginner, crops that are as close to foolproof as possible.

I anticipate enough yield this year for a couple of corn puddings and some nice heirloom tomato salads, and my goal is to have enough rhubarb and strawberries, simultaneously, for one grand, lattice-topped pie.

With luck, my limited harvest will keep me from being insufferably smug about my commitment to Mother Earth while enabling me to feel ever so slightly superior to the woman ahead of me at the grocery store, whose apples have almost enough frequent-flier miles for a free cross-country trip.

Karen Stabiner is the editor of the anthology "The Empty Nest." She is writing a comic novel about college admissions.

Should Government Aircraft Spray Chemicals on Residential Areas?

By Aaron Rowe June 15, 2008 | 5:25:09 PMCategories: Biotechnology, Chem Lab, Environment, Health, Politics  

Note to the government: When you unilaterally send aircraft to spray unfamiliar chemicals over residential areas, the public will get very worried.

Environmental activists will pick through mounds of official documents in an attempt to make sense of what you are doing: Will it affect our health?

Since material safety data sheets can make even the most benign molecules sound terrifically dangerous, vigilant citizens will express their concern about rather innocuous substances -- damaging their credibility with the scientists who should listen to their objections -- and making it hard to sort out any real threats. In some cases, the wording of those documents is so alarming that it could give activists reason to believe that the spraying is part of a mind control program.

Excerpt from LBAMspray.com:

Check this MSDS from Dupont one of the 3 ingredients listed includes "1,2-BENZISOTHIAZOLIN-3-ONE" which is in LBAM-F. See Page 2 under "Potential Health Effects" "SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS EFFECTS OF ACUTE OVEREXPOSURE: High oral doses can cause apathy (lack of feeling or emotion)."

Even if you have the best intentions, to eradicate a tiny moth that could destroy dozens of fruit crops, be prepared to explain your plans, and seek the approval of the public, before getting started with such a controversial program.

Example

Early last year, the California Department of Food and Agriculture became aware that light brown apple moths, Australian pests, had reached twelve counties around the San Francisco Bay Area. Citing studies that the creatures could devastate fruit crops, they launched an aggressive and multifaceted effort to eradicate them.

In addition to spraying the natural pesticide spinosad, covering infested plants in a bacteria that destroys the moth larvae, and releasing wasps that prey upon their eggs, the agency began dropping tiny plastic pellets from low-flying aircraft. Those capsules are infused with two pheromones, chemicals that can confuse the moths and prevent them from mating.

From an academic point of view, the government approach is a textbook case of integrated pest management, which has the best of intentions -- to get rid of the bugs without using the most toxic types of pesticide. But activists regard the unchecked release of chemicals over their homes as a violation of their civil liberties and a potential threat to their health.

"This issue is about our rights," says John Russo of Stop the Spray. "It is our body, and our decision. We have a right to determine what happens to our own bodies."

On Tuesday, the California Senate Agriculture Committee will review a bill that could put a halt to the spraying. Russo and other activists will be there.

Electric Vehicle Dealer in Seattle...delivers to Sequim, I hear

http://mcelectricvehicles.com/detail.php?catid=1

A happy and wise couple in downtown Sequim

Excellent "mileage" with a three-wheeled, two-passenger, electric, covered trike:

Ocean full of plastic debris

Go to:
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/05/is-there-a-natu.html
to read the full story.

Hybrids? Efficientcy. Carbon Debt.

In a perfect example of why Cliff’s Notes don’t substitute for reading the whole book, the method by which Paul McCartney’s new luxury hybrid was delivered to him has ruined any environmental gains that might have been made by driving a hybrid in the first place. Indeed… his brand new Lexus LS 600h hybrid was flown to him by cargo plane. Questions of whether or not a 5.0-liter, V-8, 19 mile per gallon luxury behemoth really exemplifies the spirit of a “hybrid” aside, the judgment involved in shipping cars by airplane is enough to cringe at.

Doing some of my own napkin calculations (below) I came up with a fuel efficiency for the 5,966 mile trip from Tokyo to London of 4 mpg. That’s assuming the cargo plane burned 5 gallons of fuel per mile and there were 19 other cars in the plane. I’m not so sure there were 20 cars on that cargo plane, but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. What this means is that the former Beatle’s new Lexus hybrid got 4 mpg for the first 5,966 miles of it’s life without ever starting up or even getting the chance to enjoy it’s V-8 glory on the open road. What a shame.

To be fair, we’ve all been guilty of this kind of inefficient transportation at some level (think bananas from South America), and Paul McCartney is simply an easy target. In fact, most new cars being bought off the lot will have a large “carbon debt” due to the simple act of manufacturing. This debt, even in the case of a Prius, will take tens of thousands of miles of driving to pay off versus something like a fuel efficient used car. In the end, the lack of wisdom here points out that we can deliver all the great new technology we want, yet without the conscious decision to change our habits we won’t make much headway in improving energy efficiency.

*Editorial Note: Nick Chambers is the newest writer on Gas 2.0: welcome Nick

My SHELFARI bookshelf-E D U C A T I O N

FILE UNDER EDUCATION:

http://www.shelfari.com/SPCUG/shelf

Books that I have read, enjoyed, and would recommend to my friends and/or students.

Olympic Peninsula food economy

Research about how our the Olympic Peninsula food economy works and how few products and dollars in that economy stay local.  Some trends:
    There are 662 family farms on the Peninsula
    The average size is 56 acres
    76% of those farms sell less than $10,000 per year
    Only 7% sell more than $100,000 per year
    Of the $278M we locally spend on food annually, $270M (or 97%) leaves the area
    49% of all groceries sold in the US are marketed through five chains and the top two (Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart) are owned by the same company
    America is quickly becoming a net food importer

CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lamps)

CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) are supposed to cut down on energy usage and have a longer life span than the old incandescent light bulbs.
 
Some down sides, of the CFL:
 
1)     The ballast contains mercury, which is disposal problem for the "Greens".
2)     Cold temperatures (outside use - like the lamps in my unheated garage, for instance), Dimmer Circuits (turning the lights down), Ceiling Fans (CFL's don't like the vibration) will all shorten the life span of the CFL.
4. You get what you pay for, the cheaper brands last about as long as the incandescent. Some less...LIke the Chinese-made junk lamps I bought at Safeway with the Safeway brand on them.
3)     Lastly, the low brightness (candle-power) may not appeal to users.

    GOOD CFL's do deliver what they are supposed to. Countries like Australia will be passing laws that CFL's are all that you can use.
  
There is a CFL that you can use outside, check the label.
 
ALSO: Check the socket – I have had to replace some. Some sockets are cheap. Others – at one time in the socket's history - someone didn't screw the bulb in tight enough. The pressure contact got hot (look at the little button, in the center bottom of the socket. If it is starting to turn blue or purple – it got hot. I've seen some were it looked like burnt toast) and weakened the connection. There by shortening the life of any bulb you screw in.

Wildlife populations 'plummeting

Over-fishing and demand for their fins as a delicacy have hit shark numbers

Between a quarter and a third of the world's wildlife has been lost since 1970, according to data compiled by the Zoological Society of London.
Populations of land-based species fell by 25%, marine by 28% and freshwater by 29%, it says.

Humans are wiping out about 1% of all other species every year, and one of the "great extinction episodes" in the Earth's history is under way, it says.

Pollution, farming and urban expansion, over-fishing and hunting are blamed.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7403989.stm

On the topic of Education...in Clallam County

Hello Fellow Homeowners & Renters,
Until this Port Angeles school tech levy election is over on May 20, I will continue to send updates to you that will hopefully assist you in making your decisions.  I hope too you will discuss this information with your friends and neighbors.

Today I learned about a $13.2 million grant which was awarded to Washington state schools...only to be lost due to our teacher's union rules.

Some months ago, I listened to a radio interview with a Washington teacher who stated that the single biggest obstacle to our children receiving a world class education in Washington is the WEA (Washington Education Association).

Fifty per cent of the check you write for your property taxes goes to education; and a big portion of that DOES NOT go to educating our children.

According to the following article which appeared in today's Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2004394554&zsection_id=2003749464&slug=grants06m&date=20080506

The National Math & Science Initiative wanted to disburse this grant by paying teachers directly.  But Washington's teacher's union's collective-bargaining laws require that teacher pay (a small portion of the grant) be negotiated between unions and school districts.

"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided $10 million for the effort, was disappointed that Washington state couldn't find a solution, noting that some of the other states involved have teachers unions, too.

"Honestly, I can't figure out why they couldn't solve this," said Steve Seleznow, the foundation's program director for education.

But Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association (WEA), said that outside groups can't just set up a new system for paying local teachers.

"That's not how it works in our state."

The WEA, he said, was particularly concerned about tying teacher pay directly to student test scores."

That last statement from the spokesman for the WEA is very telling.  In other words, the teachers' union doesn't want anything tying test results to teacher performance.  They want to avoid accountability at any cost.  Even if that means denying our children a multi-million dollar grant.

Here's a video report from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation with an eyepopping interview of its CEO on the loss of this grant and the role the WEA paid in losing it (the comment by a teach posted at the end is very interesting indeed):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqiJGyMe7I

(Note:  the EFF was the organization that challenged the WEA and won the Supreme Court case which foiled the WEA's attempt to use non-union teacher dues for the WEA's own political causes.)


And here's another wasteful fact:  teachers who are awaiting hearings on various complaints - which could range from a minor infraction to assault - are assigned to what teachers call "the rubber room" where they must report daily, sometimes for years, to await a decision.  Here they read magazines, play cards and nap....all at full pay, all at taxpayer expense - as dictated by union rules.

The Seattle School District paid $2 million to teachers last year while they await administrative hearings.  Two million dollars of our taxes going to teachers who must sit and do nothing.  Okay, so some of them may not be "fit" to teach, but surely they can be given some job in the school system to make them useful to taxpayers.

There are so many many ways our government run school system is wasting our hard earned tax dollars and failing our children (and why home schooling is on the increase).  Changing the state constitution to allow passage of school levies by a simple (as opposed to super) majority, further removed our schools' responsibility to accountability.

Today's PDN front page story tells of the PA School Board's cut to this year's school budget (partially achieved by job attrition and declining enrollment).  But the School District will go ahead with our Legislature's mandated (but unfunded by the state; translation: to be funded through property taxes) all-day kindergarten.  If you are interested, I can point you to reports which state that this approach to learning does not necessarily help our children learn and in some respects can actually hinder it.

Also interesting to note in the PA School budget trim:  $14,000 saved by turning off computers during evenings, weekends, and school breaks.  Stoopid question of the day:  how many years has this been going on and why didn't the school board think about saving us that $14,000 in energy costs before now?  I won't even go into green issues with this one - not to mention wear and tear on the computers - which we are being asked to replace.

All something to think about when filling out your ballots.
Shelley
P.S.  I would certainly understand if some of you were so angry at this that you felt it necessary to write a letter to the editor of the Peninsula Daily News.
P.P.S.  Please do not construe the statements above as our being opposed to education or taxes for education.  We are NOT!  We simply want our tax dollars spent wisely, our children to receive a world class education, and the state of Washington, the WEA, and our schools to put the children first.