Monthly Archives: August 2006
Dr. Pianka, Crazy or Logical?
| August 30, 2006 | Posted by Angela under Random |
I just recently read an article in last’s Sunday’s Express News regarding how a UT Austin zoology professor believes there will soon be a world wide human population crash . What has gotten him the most attention has been his striking quotes, one being the following:
“I actually think the world will be much better off when only 10 percent of us are left.”
People really got fired up with this and he received many negative criticisms and has even been reported to the FBI as a terror threat.
Here’s the thing, people freak out with quotations like this. But he is a zoology professor at one of the best universities in the world. I think he knows what he is talking about. He is not a random person off the street making crazy remarks with no data to back his logic up.
Dr. Pianka is not trying to be politically correct. And although he has been asked to not mix philosophy with science when commenting on this subject, he says it’s virtually impossible.
According to Dr. Pianka, humans are overpopulating the Earth and we are drifting further and further away from nature. The death rate will soon exceed the birth rate and eventually, a tidal will hit us hard, and civilizations will fall apart.
Sound crazy? I wouldn’t say so. It makes perfect sense. Dr. Pianka has done extensive research and is extremely credible. I don’t know why people think he is crazy. I mean look around. Where has our rain forest gone? Why are species disappearing? Do you know what’s in that burger? Is it meat, cheese, veggies and bread? Unless you went to kill the cow yourself, pasteurize the cheese and grow your veggies, you do not really know. Hmm, not to know what you are feeding your body, kind of scary. But you don’t think about it. I mean, yes, we all try to be healthy and maybe organic, but living in a society we do today, it is difficult to truly go back to nature.
Humans are in control and we are not using that control to our advantage. Rather than respecting nature and using it as a resource, we damage it and come up create harmful chemicals to preserve the little nature we have. But it is stabbing us in the back.
But if you change your ways, will it help?
Dr. Pianka doesn’t seem to think so. Although, he does drive a Prius, he doesn’t seem to think we can do anything to help. It’s too late. Someone will buy a Prius and the next person will buy a Hummer. We will recycle paper while someone is cutting down a tree. Its a continuous cycle that becomes worse as our population grows. That’s not to say that you should not do your part to protect and preserve your environment, that’s just your choice.
One point Dr. Pianka makes, that I strongly agree with, is that we should tax individuals for having children rather than assisting them with funds. So many people take advantage of the system, but that is another topic.
Check out Dr. Pianka’s site:
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~varanus/eric.html”>http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~varanus/eric.html
Global Warming hitting San Antonio, Texas…HARD
| August 26, 2006 | Posted by Angela under Random |
San Antonio is currently in a serious drought, a 17 month drought. We have only received 20.52 inches of rain since April 2005, which is only 43% of normal. We have hit the hottest average temperature’s this year ever recorded in history. We have had the hottest August ever recorded in history, hitting 102 degrees!
It’s hot, dry and uncomfortable. It’s easy for us to go inside and crank up the AC. To jump into a car to drive down the street, instead of walking. As it gets hotter, we use more energy, opposite to what we should be doing.
You may already know how Global Warming works but just to confirm, when we burn fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clear forests, we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, which consequently, rises temperatures.
Global Warming has has had a significant impact on the weather, if you haven’t already noticed. I do not remember seeing uncontrollable, vast wild fires burn so many parts of our land when I was growing up.
What’s really strange about the weather in San Antonio, is that just 8 years ago, San Antonio experienced a record flood. We received 18.07 inches of rain in October 1998. This is the most rain we received ever recorded. The second highest was only 15.78 inches in September of 1946.
So a record flood just 8 years ago, to a record drought today. Does anyone see anything abnormal about this?
Ok, so the weather is acting a little strange, so what? Well, let’s just say that it is going to continue to act strange and stranger and stranger. It will continue to kill more and more people each year. It will change the way we function on a daily basis. So you say, ok, but I have no control over the weather change. Well, yes you do, not entirely but if enough to make a difference. And if you have children, younger siblings, younger cousins and you want them to live a full life and not have to worry about them experiencing the hardships of the weather due to changes you never made, then this should be important to you.
There are simple things that you can do and I would like to share with you some of the simple things I have done:
1- Change all light bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs. Replacing one light bulb can actually save 150lbs of carbon dioxide per year. I have already changed my light bulbs and I do not see any negative difference in lighting. I just feel better everytime I have to use a light.
2- Recycle. I think San Antonio has done an excellent job with recycling. However, there is still a lot to be done. We need to have more recycle bins easily accessible in more public places. If you do not have a recycle bin, get one! They are free. The city will also pick up your recycling bin once a week. There is no work involved.
3- Plant a tree. A tree absorbs carbon dioxide over it’s lifetime. It can also produce shade in your yard and over your house so you don’t have to crank up that AC so high. My house had a few trees planted on the side but none in the front. We planted two trees, a Magnolia and Red Maple. It is really neat to see a tree grow and brings character to your house. Mature trees also increase the value of your home.
4- Turn off all unused devices in your home. If you are not watching TV or not on your computer, it is best to turn it off and unplug. We have gotten better at this.
5- Don’t use hot water unless you absolutely need to. Everytime I used hot water, I wasn’t conscience of the fact that I was using energy to get the water heater going. Now, I am and I do not use hot water unless I am running the dish washer or taking a shower but I have it on low pressure.
Things I have not done, but need to do.
1- Drive less. Living in a city that is so widely spread out and with not many public transportation options, it is a little more difficult to drive less. However, it can still be done, it will just require some planning and scheduling. We can take the Via Bus. You will save gas money and don’t have to wory about driving in traffic. We can car pool. Find out where your coworkers and classmates live and try to take turns car pooling. You will save gas money and spend quality time with your coworker.
You have probably have heard of other things you can do. If you are buying a new car, look for a hybrid or a car that can run on Ethanol. If you are buying appliances, look for the Energy Star.
It’s important to know what we CAN do. Making these small changes can roll into a significant positive change in our enviroment. It might be too late to stop Global Warming but at least we can slow it down.
I am becoming very passionate about Global Warming and am still trying to learn more and see what can be done. I will continue to post topics on Global Warming and what we can do in our own city to help.
What’s in a paleta?
| August 25, 2006 | Posted by Angela under Why I like San Antonio |
If you are from outside of Texas, you are probably wondering “what is a paleta?” If you are from Texas, you should know what a Paleta is, and if not, shame on you!
Paletas are the ‘oh so good’ ice cream bars sold at El Paraiso. The original El Paraiso happens to be down the street from my house.
What’s so good about these paletas?
- They are cheap! $.40/bar and you can buy in bulk, 25 for $10 or 50 for only $17.50.
- So many flavors! Mango, Watermelon (watch out for the seeds), Banana, Vanilla w/ Raisins, Pina Colada, Pickle, Lucas, Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Chocolate, Cookies n Cream, Strawberry, Rice Pudding, Pecan, Lemon and I am probably missing a couple.
- Good for you! They actually use fresh fruit, milk and a little bit of sugar. Each bar only has about 6 grams of sugar and 6 grams of fat. Not bad!
So if you haven’t tried one, you need to. Once you have one, you will be addicted. With so many flavors, you are always wanting to try something different. Although, I don’t do Pickle or Lucas.
Another plus for our neighborhood is that we have bicycle vendors. So when we are working in the yard in the hot sun and you hear the chimes ring, you know the old man is coming with an ice cold tasty Paleta for you, melts right in your mouth. Yum!
50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days?
| August 23, 2006 | Posted by Angela under Random |
Is it humanly possible? That is 1300 miles in 50 days. Well, we will find out in 3 days as Sam Thompson goes on to complete this mission. As of today, he is at 48 marathons in 47 days. Sam is a professional runner but no runner is crazy enough to do what he is doing.
So why is he doing this? To raise money (and awareness) to assist with the devastation left on the Mississippi Gulf Coast incurred by Hurrican Katrina almost a year ago. Media coverage has died down since the actual storm hit and Sam is trying to attract media attention essentially to bring attention to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Although, Sam has received media coverage since he began, he hasn’t gained real big coverage until today when he was mentioned on cnn.com. This is how I discovered this journey of his. I love stories like this. He is trying to prove that he can complete this mission when everyone is telling him no and he is raising money for a good cause, a cause he believes in.
Not only that, Sam was in a car accident when he was younger, injuring his leg so badly that the doctor said he wouldn’t be able to run again. Can you imagine? Now, he is doing marathons but not just that, 50 in 50 days!
The world needs more people like this. Visit his site and donate, <A href=”http://www.50in50in50.com”>50in50in50.com</A>. If donating strictly to help people that lost homes isn’t enough, do it for Sam, his legs must hurt. Feel his pain and donate!
Have you Hurd?
| August 21, 2006 | Posted by Angela under Random |
2nd Preseason Game, Cowboys are now 2-0 as they finished against the Saints, 30-7.
Sam Hurd, a San Antonio Native, made the last touch down of the 2nd quarter from a 13 yard pass from Bledsoe. Hurd is a 21yr old Rookie coming from N. Illinois. Before college, Hurd attended Brackenridge High School in downtown San Antonio.
While T.O is out crying about his hamstring, Dallas is trying out Hurd. Hmm, a touch down in the 2nd preseason game? I think this can be good. Watch out T.O. Keep babying that hamstring and let’s see what Hurd can do.
We got another player to watch out for in Dallas, and he happens to be from San Antonio.
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