Ed Begley Flips His Shit on Fox News

Climate Change: We’re Screwed!

photo from The Laughing Squid
Checkout what “The Yes Men” did today in NYC.  They made fake copies of the NY POST with the words “WE’RE SCREWED” as the headline.  It was their attempt at The Onion.  The only problem is – they’re probably right.  They also did this once before with The New York Times reporting that the Iraq War has ended.  They’ve even made a web version – check it out here: http://nypost-se.com/

It’s going to be seen by many conservatives as scare tactics.  The science of the matter is that climate change is happening – almost all scientists not hired by oil companies agree.  The polar ice cap is melting faster than ever meaning less sun is being reflected out of the atmospher and is being absorbed – thus uncovering land that hasn’t been seem in millions or billions of years – releasing even more carbon into the atmosphere.  I don’t like “global warming” because it’s a misnomer.  If it’s freezing outside – people make “global warming” jokes.  What it comes down to is that climate change is making weather more unpredictable and violent – and the more that man abuses the planet – the faster it’s deteriorating.  We can’t solely blame China and India for starting their industrial revolutions.  They are beating up the planet now, too – but they have many green initiatives underway.  Population control is another gem to look at – I’m not forgetting it.  Anyhoo…

“SPECIAL EDITION” NEW YORK POST from The Yes Men on Vimeo.
 

If you don’t live in New York City or otherwise know the style of the New York Post’s style of headline and coverage, you may not get how serious cool this is, but trust me it is. Activist group The Yes Men have taken the Post’s no-nonsense approach and really laid out what likely to happen should the international community really get its collective act together on climate change. Basically we’re screwed:

Distributed by hundreds of volunteers throughout the city, the spoof newspapers for all intents and purposes look like a regular NY Post but over the 32 pages of the paper is serious/humorous tell it like it is coverage of what the world is facing with climate action.

via On Climate Change ‘We’re Screwed’! – The Yes Men Spoof New York Post : TreeHugger.

Live Earth’s ‘Love, The Climate’ Giveaway

Live Earth is coming up soon and they’re having a  ”Love, The Climate” Giveaway, where YOU can LEND YOUR VOICE to the environment.

Senators are returning to work and the climate is back in the limelight. Join in our “Love, The Climate” Giveaway before the Climate Bill goes to the Senate floor.

What would the climate have to say if it were happy and healthy and had a voice? What message would it send from its bright future? Now you have a chance to speak for the trees.

Make senators feel like rock stars for being climate leaders. Encourage and motivate them to support a greener future. Be funny, enthusiastic and creative! Thank our senators for creating a world full of green jobs and renewable energy; say goodbye to gas-guzzling clunkers and polluting coal power plants.

via Live Earth’s ‘Love, The Climate’ Giveaway | Live Earth.

MotionPower speed bump installed Burger King

MotionPower speed bump installed at NJ Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s feel slighted. [via Engadget]

This reminds of  the PowerLeap from innate greenie Elizabeth Redmond.  The concept is the same – a person walks on the PowerLeap flooring and the kinetic energy is turned into electricity.  This speed bump from MotionPower is awesome – most people wouldn’t care about a small speed bump in a drive-thru.  You’re already slowed down ordering food to make you fatter – so why not make a little energy to run all of those lights and flame-broilers.

Solar Powered iPhone Skins

Check this out, yo.  It’s a solar powered iPhone skin from NovoThink.  So how much – well now we know. Pre-orders start now for $69.95 – http://www.solararcadia.com/

Hybrid solar charger for iPhone 3G and 3G S

Powerup directly from the sun while carrying your iPhone. This sleek, smartly designed hybrid solar charger is convenient and easy to use.

Van Jones Getting A Bad Rap

UPDATE: Van Jones resigned today from his post as Green Jobs Czar. It’s a shame, actually. The witch hunt won out.

I received this email via Facebook yesterday and thought I’d pass it along.  Van Jones is a good guy and is getting a bad rap.

hey all,

as you likely know, Obama’s leading ‘green jobs’ man, Van Jones, has been getting smeared by Fox News. Here’s a letter from best selling author John Robbins (and his son Ocean) addressing it.

It’s good fodder to send to those friends of yours who’ve drunk the Fox News KoolAid.

warmest,
tad

* * *

Dear Friends,

Van Jones, a man whose life and work are committed to building a new green economy while generating jobs for some of the people who need them most, is under attack from the right wing attack machine. For those of us who have been touched by Van’s life and message, now is the time to stand up for him, for the green jobs agenda, and for President Obama.

Van is the special advisor on green jobs for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Now familiar, negative politics are being used to go after an African-American surrogate for Obama, Van Jones.

It seems like a kind of high-tech witch hunt. A rising African American visionary who works in the White House is being targeted with allegations like that he’s a Communist.

In fact, he’s a best-selling author whose work, and role in the White House, are all about using capitalism to help people and the planet.

He’s been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a social entrepreneur, and his life is dedicated to creating private sector jobs that make the world a better place and improve America’s energy security.

Glenn Beck, Fox News, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly are saying he’s a dangerous radical extremist. In fact, he’s a kind, warm person who has built bridges across racial divides, class divides, and political divides.

Mr. Beck loves to mention the fact that Van Jones was arrested twice. Again though, Beck never tells his audience that in neither case was Van Jones ever charged with any crime. Furthermore, Beck neglects to mention the fact that Van Jones actually won a lawsuit and monetary compensation based on the illegality of his arrest in one case.

Van Jones is someone worth defending.

And for those of us who know his courageous spirit, his loving heart, and his wisdom, now is the time to speak. We are urging you to post on blogs, to send emails to lists, to contact or submit stories for media outlets, to comment on internet news articles, and to use any other mediums you have to tell the truth about Van Jones as you know him.

In the next few days, we can expect a continued roar of negative publicity, out-of-context quotes, half-truths presented as “fact”, and the continued vilification of a man whose life and work have inspired millions with visions of a socially just, environmentally sustainable, and economically robust economy. If you know the truth about Van, please help get the word out.

Feel free to forward this message widely, or to use any words in it that you find helpful if you wish to reach out to your own lists.

Yours for healthy people and a healthy planet,

John Robbins, author, Diet for a New America and founder of EarthSave International
Ocean Robbins, author, The Power of Partnership and founder of YES!

PS — A few potentially useful links are here:

A former employer who knows Van well corrects the record
http://www.alternet.org/environment/142310/glenn_beck’s_crazy_lies_about_van_jones

Thomas Friedman’s New York Times article about Van’s work and message
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/opinion/17friedman.html?_r=1

Van sharing his message on the Colbert Report (they call this a communist radical?)
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/164563/april-01-2008/van-jones

Article exploring some of Glenn Beck’s “facts” on Van Jones
http://www.examiner.com/x-5738-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m9d3-Video–Glenn-Becks-most-recent-attacks-on-Van-Jones-and-911-Truth-reveal-his-own-hypocrisy

Back to the Basics – How Solar Panels Work

EU starts stamping out energy guzzling light bulbs | Reuters

As of September 1, the European Union has begun their quest to reduce energy 20% by 2020.

Factories must immediately stop producing frosted incandescent bulbs and the least efficient 100-watt clear bulbs, but shops will be allowed to sell bulbs already in stock.

Traditional bulbs will be progressively replaced until 2012 with efficient alternatives such as halogen bulbs and compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, which consume up to 80 percent less energy.

via EU starts stamping out energy guzzling light bulbs | Reuters.

Shady’s Back

Guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back…

Craw4d is back in action, Jackson. I plan on getting this show back on the road. The summer is virtually over – I’m still busy as hell – but I still love this movement I’m part of…

So let’s get it on

Google’s Green Mission

I’m always intrigued at what Google is doing on the energy front – and “green” front as a whole. I really don’t care if there is a future ulterior motive – it all seems to be for the good. Like working on PV technology to try to being renewable energy below the cost of coal. Here’s a video from CNN – I hate the way their stuff embeds, but enjoy it none-the-less.