Of Wind Interest

Wind Powered Vent Mobile places first in race. The first time vehicles were required to drive directly into the wind with no tacking. See article.

Wind Power-no grid to ride on

While expanding wind power across the nation is a realty, most of the turbines sit distant from their markets. And the grid is inadequate. To quote former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. "we have a third world grid". Fragmented and misaligned like a bunch of rambling country roads, there is no super highway for new Solar and Wind generated electricity to travel. With out congress acting to establish an updated national power grid, wind and solar alternatives to oil cannot remotely meet their full potential. See Article.

Pickens Plan-Ad blocked by NBC

Click here for information and to sees the ad.

The Florida Citrus Industry in Peril

In this case green is not good, because the the distructive insect driven phenomena of dying trees and lopsided fruit has been, perhaps, misapropriately named Greening.

The Last Flight Of The Honey Bee

This article from the English newspaper the Guardian is worth the time

EPA REFUSES TO DISCLOSE NEONICOTINOID INFORMATION

We read in the San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/19/MNKR12DBPO.DTL&hw=Colony+Collapse+disorder+of+the+

(08-18) 18:37 PDT -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to disclose records about a new class of pesticides that could be playing a role in the disappearance of millions of honeybees in the United States, a lawsuit filed Monday charges. "

There has been a muddying of the waters about Colony Collapse disorder. The government and the large chemical companies and the endowed chairs of the Universities of our nation have been trying to obscure and hide this information. See other posts on this subject in the blog. We first became aware of this pesticide by reading the excellent book A Spring Without Bees by Michael Schacker. See the link on the left side of the page. We highly recommend this book, and in light of this lawsuit and the EPA's response, anyone, and this means everyone, who is concerned about our existence on the planet, should read his research and narrative on this subject.

Sunflowers and Bees

The Moon and The Meadow

Here is an updated photo of our wildflower meadow. Our flowers have succeeded in attracting bees all summer and now the sunflowers are beginning to blossom and entice dozens of bees.
There are no pesticides here, and perhaps this is the reason we are bounteous with bees.

Britain's Honeybees Suffer Catastrophic Loss

" Britain's honeybees have suffered catastrophic losses this year, according to a survey of the nation's beekeepers, contributing to a shortage of honey and putting at risk the pollination of fruits and vegetables.
The survey by the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) revealed that nearly one in three of the UK's 240,000 honeybee hives did not survive this winter and spring "
See the Article from the Guardian

A Parable For Our Times

THE DESTRUCTION OF BEAUTY

Once upon a time in a far away land
There lived a little old lady
And a little old man

One day it was spring
The trees filling with sap
When out in the forest
They heard tap tap, tap tap

What could it be,
This hammering sound
They looked up and then down
Then everywhere round.

And then up high they saw it
A magnificent bird
A head red as a Cardinal
And a beak long-absurd

It was a Pilated wood pecker
Large as a cat, a buzz saw of activity
A rat a tat tat.

The woods chips descended
From high in the tree
Falling, descending like
So much confetti

What ho said the man
See that bright bird
With plumage bright Red
Let’s shoot and kill it
I’ll fill it with lead

But wait, said the lady
You silly old fool
To kill that bright bird
Would be stupid and cruel

So the little old man
He marched out the door
He took his long gun
His bullets and more

He stalked through the forest
With nary a sound
Until right before him
There was game all around

He shot at the lion
He shot at the deer
He shot at the rabbit
Until the coast was clear

But when he finished
His shooting
There was no game about
It all had escaped him
The man started to pout

And then he went homeward
Where he saw the bright bird
He shot it and killed it
With not even a word

And when he opened the door
And the lady found out
She said, I will not eat it
You stupid old lout

You’ve killed off the beauty
Get out, out, out...out!

j matson heininger

A New Way of Thinking of Trees

Trees, their individual eco-systems.. their medicinal qualities, their symbiotic relationship whith insects and fauna. Read this interesting article about Diana Beresford Kroeger

Pesticide Failure not the Cure

In a different switch to my view of the bee problem. Bee researchers in Canada who have observed the declining bee population believe it is the result of mites growing resistance to pesticides designed to protect the bees. OK -perhaps but at odds with the view from the book reviewed-recommended and included on our site ( see it just down the page) A Spring Without Bees. Canadian researchers say they have not yet seen any colony collapse disorder, the major problem with bee populations in the United States and Europe.
Click here for the article

Trees in blossom- originally posted May 15

Apple Trees...Formations of white

Sweet Cherry Trees with Lake Michigan in the background

Today, walking about King orchards , a mile or so from my door, taking photos and watching the light rebound from the distant lake, I found it easy to put the silliness of man aside. Our crazy President, the Democratic campaign, the economy... For the moment; how could one care with these scenes before me?... But beauty is everywhere this time of year. If you look for it... There it is...in the smallest flower, the tiniest bud. And on and about Blue View Lane....what can one say... magnificent, soothing. I suggest you take the time to pause and smell the blossoms.

A German Town Mandates Solar Energy

Marburg, a fairy tale city with a Gothic castle, and solar panels and wind vanes, and home of the brothers Grimm has mandate solar panels on all new buildings. The Green Green Greenies against the Green Greenies.

click here

MIT Announces major breakthrough in solar energy.

Daniel G Nocera from MIT has announced a major discovery primed to unleash an energy revolution. Scientists have discovered how to mimic the essence of plants' energy storage systems, photosynthesis,and by doing so have opened the door for a different type of storage system for solar energy and wind power.

Fuel cells which operate on hydrogen and oxygen produced from the insertion of electrodes into common water. Nocera says his discovery will make the average home's connection to electric lines a thing of the past with in ten years. Click below for a full description from the MIT sites.



Click here for the MIT news and video

Jellyfish- The Canary of the Seas?

This article from today's New York Times, addresses the spreading Jellyfish, the closed beaches and the greater problem. Yes my friends ( as john mccaine would say, has anyone ever met the man) once more, man seems to be screwing things up.

Click Here

The Twilight of the Bats

This article from Salon suggests that similar problems are assaulting the bats as they are the bees, with Colony Collapse Disorder. Our use of chemicals, pesticides, and their introduction into our environment my yet prove to be mankind's greatest folly. And that is a big statement, considering the parade of follies which tumble and march through our specie's history.
See Article