In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

~ Douglas Adams

Annie Leonard is an American scholar on international trade, development, international sustainability and environmental health issues.

She made a video called the “The Story of Stuff.”  In it, she describes, in a hip and off-beat way, how our industrialized society is ransacking the earth, its environment, and its poorest people.

Watch it!  It’s eye-opening!  Click on the link below . . .

The Story of Stuff

Mark Bittman is a well-known American cookbook author and food writer.

In the video, he gives an incredible and informative lecture on food consumption relating to human health and our environment.

He points out that:

• 1/5th of the green house gases emitted in the United States are generated by livestock production–more than transportation.
• Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some types of cancer are much more prevalent in the United States than in any other part of the world, and there is a direct correlation between this prevalence and our western diet.

This documentary is eye opening, to say the least.  Unfortunately, as of yet, I’ve been unable to get anyone to watch it with me.

It is disturbing.  But we need to know the truth about where our food comes from.  This movie not only details our dependence on animals for food, but also for pets, clothing, entertainment, and science.

According to the website:

Narrated by Academy Award Nominee Joaquin Phoenix and featuring music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby, EARTHLINGS is a documentary film about humankind’s complete economic dependence on animals raised for pets, food, clothing, entertainment and scientific research. Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, EARTHLINGS chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. Powerful, informative, controversial and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals and human economic interests.

You can watch the whole documentary on google at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967

I bought the DVD.  It is one of most important documentaries I’ve ever seen.  You can check out some trailers and director featurettes at:

http://www.isawearthlings.com/trailer.html

http://www.isawearthlings.com/featurette.html

50 miles, 75 miles, even 100 miles on a gallon of gas? You bet!  And you can do it by just changing the way you drive.

Learn the core concepts of hypermiling at http://hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html

Hypermiling is gaining publicity.  See these articles on CNN and MSNBC:

Take it slow and save big on gas

‘Hypermilers’ wring out every last bit of mpg

Also I found this interesting paper discussing the philosophical implications of driving.

TRAFFIC “EXPERIMENTS” AND A CURE FOR WAVES & JAMS

One of the first things you need to do to get better gas mileage is to record it.  Here’s how:

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=calcMPG

Recently, I’ve been eating vegan.  I bought some books on the subject, one of which is called Simpy Vegan. It’s a recipe book with many simple recipes, for newbies, such as myself.

I’m now adept at cooking this little number.  It’s easy to prepare and tastes delicious!

Ingredients:
2 tb Oil
1 c Red lentils
1 ts Cumin
1/4 ts Cayenne pepper
1 Onion, chopped
2 1/2 c Water

Instructions:
Stir fry lentils, onion, and spices in oil for 2 minutes. Add water and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes in covered pot. Stir occasionally. Serve hot with rice.

July 14th is Bastille day.  It is a French holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

HISTORY

The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th’s Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king’s power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

Although the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic’s three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens. It marked the end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, eventually, the creation of the (First) Republic, in 1792.

All Faith is false, all Faith is true:
Truth is the shattered mirror strown
In myriad bits; while each believes
His little bit the whole to own.

~ Sir Richard Burton

There is no escape - we pay for the violence of our ancestors.

~ Frank Herbert