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A larger version of this chart, where you can read the numbers more easily is at

https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/content/energy/energy_archive/energy_flow_2009/LLNL_US_Energy_Flow_2009.png

Estimated US energy use in 2009 was 94.6 quadrillion btu’s.  54.64 quads were “rejected energy,” wasted energy.  39.97 quads actually provided energy services, did work.  We lost about 57.75% of the energy we produced to get the use of 42.25% of what we, mostly, burned.  At least, those are the percentages I get with my calculator.

Continue reading 2009 Energy Use in the USA
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“You can’t spoil a system that is spoiled to the core.”

–Ralph Nader

As the Los Angeles Times reports, key Democrats are beginning to embrace the no-holds-barred arena of corporate influence on political elections, in which disclosures of funding are not required by law.

Democrats putting together new independent political organizations for the 2012 campaign are embracing a model that will allow them to conceal their donors – the very tactic for which they criticized Republicans in 2010.

Majority PAC, a new group aimed at electing Democrats to the Senate, and American Bridge 21st Century, which will serve as a research hub, are being organized as so-called super political action committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money from contributors whose donations are reported to the Federal Election Commission. But both are also affiliated with nonprofit 501(c)(4) social welfare groups that can raise money from undisclosed donors and give money directly to super PACs.

The same dual structure is being considered by Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, two former White House aides who are likely to launch their own independent expenditure effort in support of President Obama’s reelection, according to people familiar with the plans.

As a spokesman for Obama, Burton repeatedly hammered Republican groups for their lack of transparency in 2010. He declined to comment.

Continue reading Join the fight – drop the duopoly!
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Change the media, change the world? Really? Is it that simple? Well, I went to the National Conference for Media Reform this past weekend to find out.

Kudos to Free Press, based in the Pioneer Valley, for putting on such a great event — their fifth national conference (starting in 2003). The major theme banged home during the weekend was that no matter what your issue focus is, you’ve got to make media your second issue. Whether we’re talking about media policy or media making, it is imperative to transform the way we communicate to each other and to larger and larger audiences of concerned citizens. From message to medium, from media justice to media literacy, this conference brought together a few thousand people who are remaking the media from the bottom up.

Continue reading Whatever your issue, media is #2
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If you think what’s happening in Japan can’t happen here, think again. The map below shows the reality of what’s at stake:

Nuclear Massachusetts

Actually, what’s at stake is even more troubling, considering that the Quabbin reservoir sits just about 30 miles south of Vermont Yankee, which is known to have been leaking Tritium into the Connecticut River.  

Continue reading Nuclear Massachusetts
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With incredible 2010 victories for the Green Party in the UK and in Australia, and an early breakthrough in 2011 in Germany on the heels of Japan’s Fukushima disaster, the Global Greens seem poised to break through the corporate political chatter.

In Canada, the Green Party received just under 1 million votes in the 2008 federal elections, qualifying it for nearly $2 million/year in public financing. That was because of the inclusion of Green Party leader Elizabeth May in the debates. This time around, the political class has successfully excluded her from the debates, despite an ever-strengthening party with a Green Party candidate for Member of Parliament in every single electoral district (“riding”). And despite the citizens of Canada paying $2 million a year to the Greens in public financing.

Remarkably, Canada’s public television didn’t go along, and invited Elizabeth May to their debate. All the other candidates refused to participate. The 30-minute “debate” can be viewed in 3 chunks (linked below), and I can only imagine this shameful exclusion will help the Greens in Canada break through more impressively than ever before:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Oh Canada!

Continue reading Green Party on verge of global breakthrough?
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Every year I start my garden early by using solar cloches made from 2 liter plastic bottles.  These three cloches were planted with seed in the last week of March and first week of April, respectively, with tomato and basil, cucumber and dill, and zucchini in planting Zone 6A, eastern Massachusetts.

The ring of bottles are filled with water to store solar heat during the day and the central bottle has its bottom cut out and pressed into the soil to protect the growing seeds.

Continue reading Recycled Solar Garden Cloche
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Tuesday, April 12 · 2:00pm – 5:00pm

2400 JFK Federal Building

15 New Sudbury St.

Boston, MA

Called by Beyond Coal Massachusetts

Take 30 minutes of your time and bring a handwritten note in support of clean air to drop by Senator Brown’s office. We will be greeting people outside his office form 2-5:00 PM on Tuesday, April 12th before you go upstairs to Senator Brown’s office to let him know Massachusetts wants him to vote for clean air.

You will meet volunteers outside before going through security inside and ultimately upstairs to the Senator’s office. We strongly recommend you bring a handwritten letter in support of clean air initiatives. Ideas for letters and clean air facts can be found at www.sierraclub.org/coal/ma

Continue reading Drop by Senator Brown’s Office
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