Vote Henry Newnan for Warren City Council
Current mood: thankful
Category: News and Politics

I am a candidate for Warren City Council. We need to have sustainable energy be a major topic of conversation... and action. For example, cities that have better mass transit will be glad they do as "Peak Oil" passes and the price of gas goes high. The dollar savings could well be more than $500,000 per year. We need to get off this spending binge and get fiscally and environmentally responsible.

Freedom comes with taking responsibility. I am the candidate for environmental and fiscal responsibility. I am also setting the highest possible example for others to follow. I promise to take no PAC or Corporate money. A $5.00 contribution to my campaign is a vote for citizen representation on the Warren City Council.

..

Read my article in the Sierra Club's SEMG "Activist:"
http://michigan.sierraclub.org/semg/Resources/Documents/Activist/Activist_2007_Feb-Aug.pdf (my article is on page 3)

Here's the Sierra Club Cool Cities' website:
http://www.coolcities.us/

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Woe!! A New Year - Welcome 2007! - Sierra Club Cool Cities...
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Monday, March 19, 2007

Before I give my update, please know that I urge my readers to leave their comments to my various blog topics. Click on the "Comment" link when done reading...

I am even more committed to protecting the climate. I have installed energy efficient thermal windows, solar hot water and pool heaters, insulation in the attic, and energy star appliances - except for the refrigerator. Sears failed to have a Left-Hinged one, and that's the type I need to special order from somewhere else because of the way my kitchen is set up. Call ahead if that's what you'll need also.

After energy efficient HVAC, the refrigerator is usally the next biggest single user of electricity - so get the most efficient energy star rated one you can. A guide line is, if it's older than 10 years, replace it (it's probably using more than twice as much energy as your new one will). In my case, my refrigerator came with the house and was old then back in 1993! I can also expect the new one to be quieter as well as work better.

It's important to read books, and watch movies, on the need for climate protection. Another good resource is our very own Sierra Club S.E. Michigan Group found on the web at http://michigan.sierraclub.org/semg/ I posted an article in its recent "Energy Issue" newsletter , found at, http://michigan.sierraclub.org/semg/Resources/..s/Activist/Activist_2007_Feb-Aug.pdf Please download and read the great articles. Ed McArdle's on mass-transit are also super!

Tomorrow I'm fasting (a liquids fast).

It's been awhile and I've been busy. Some of the best stuff I've been doing has been working with the Sierra Club's Cool Cities program, stopping Global Warming, seeing if I can get cities like Warren and Eastpointe to sign-on to the USMC Climate Protection Agreement, showing "An Inconvenient Truth" to MoveOn.Org members. and so forth. I consider myself a full-time energy activist. I'm also an authorized salesperson for solar thermal water and pool heaters; so if you know any homeowners please let them know that these are big money and environment savers (if they use hot water or swimming pools).

Dad's health took a turn for the worse last year when he got pneumonia. He even quit smoking (probably for good this time). It was looking for awhile that he was permanently going to be on oxygen. He's been off of it for a few weeks now; perhaps Juvenon, the food supplement my friend Nick Goodale recommended, helped him. It's a miracle.

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something for the technorati
Current mood: curious

Something even more technocrati - Yesterday I ordered up solar water and pool heaters with payback periods of 6 and 2 years respectively. Appliances that pay for themselves, and lower my carbon emissions! Awesome!

Technorati Profile

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Vote for MIchigan Dems - Retake State and National Congresses
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

The State and National Sierra Clubs are endorsing Governor Jennifer Granholm's stance on environmental issues (Energy, Water, and other issues). At Sander Levin's 12th District Campaign HQ in Warren's opening, Sandy told us that we need to retake our State Legislature in order to provide Gov. Granholm with support to pass the legislation we need. Come on people, let's get it together!

Thanks,
Hal N.

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Goal Retrofit my house to reduce my Carbon Footprint by 70%
Current mood: content
Category: News and Politics

7-12-2006
This is my goal. I established it after reading, "The Weather Makers" by Tim Flannery. I highly recommend reading this book - you'll want to know what it says.

I believe it is imperative that US citizens reduce their per-capita CO2 emissions by 70I intend to be a leader in doing this - setting the example myself - and documenting it. I had a big breakthrough yesterday by visiting Melissa at the Clawson, MI Sierra Club BEC office. She let me browse the 2 thick binders of resources she's collected on the subject, and she gave me other guidance as well.

Experts I've consulted with suggest that this goal has 2 sides, the first -Efficiency- may be less "sexy." Efficiency means take steps to use energy/resources more frugally. Setting the thermostat warmer when using air conditioning is a fine example of efficiency.

The other side is through better purchase decisions - buy sustainable energy production equipment (solar or wind...) or Energy star appliances or a hybrid car. One of the most recommended and cost effective items to install first is a passive solar energy water heater.

All of these things make our walking on the Earth lighter. I want to use my skills to make the path more cost effective and easier for those who follow me. One of my first goals is to get myself connected with networks of people who will guide me (and others). Here's a website of one such group: http://www.glgi.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Podcasts. There are a couple more positively charged groups cited in the info that Melissa gave me.

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Energy Committe and Global Warming
Current mood: determined
Category: News and Politics

September 22, 2006 Update. There is an Energy Subcommittee Tomorrow morning Michigan Sierra Club Chapter Energy Subcommittee will meet
Saturday, September 23, from 9:30 AM to 12:00 noon, at the Oakland County Sierra Office, 100 N.Crooks Rd. Suite 105, Clawson, MI (corner of 14 Mile Rd. and Crooks).
Phone: 248-435-5277 in the BEC office. Check out the National Sierra Club's Energy Policy

Check out
http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=346&srcid=-2
The Clinton Global Initiative is designed to inspire action. Every participant must pledge to take a specific action in one of our focus areas. These commitments have ranged from $100 million to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa, to a donation of 20,000 bicycles in disaster-torn Sri Lanka, to 100 hours volunteered in an interfaith youth group.
Clinton Raises Billions for World Issues
By BETH FOUHY
The Associated Press
Friday, September 22, 2006; 4:30 PM

NEW YORK -- A conference hosted by Bill Clinton on world problems ended Friday with the former president announcing a total of $7.3 billion in pledges to help reduce global warming and fight Third World poverty, disease and ethnic strife. ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/22/AR2006092200688.html?referrer=emailarticle

Since January I have been working hard to understand the key environmental issues of our day, and to help others understand and take action on them via videos and activism.

Global Warming can best be understood by: getting involved with the Sierra Club, reading, "The Weather Makers," and viewing the movie, "The Inconvenient Truth." All three of these suggest steps that we individually and collective need to make in order to avoid further and worse catastrophes as a result of climate change. We are the Weather makers, and we need to stop it.

In Michigan there was a recent Sierra Club sponsored workshop on "Michigan Energy, Problems and Solutions." During that workshop we found out that Michigan can become a leader in sustainable energy instead of remaining the laggard that it now is. Join us in helping to make it so! Contact me at: HNewnan@SBCGlobal.Net

Thanks,
Hal N.

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Environmental - Google Payroll - CamCorderInfo.Com -- CSM Articles fr March 29 2006
Current mood: contemplative
Category: News and Politics

Environmental - Google Payroll - CamCorderInfo.Com -- CSM Articles fr March 29 2006

This issue got me activated with the article on page 18, " Easy to Be Green, Hard to be Environmental."

See the article online at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0329/p18s03-hfes.html

Environmenalist issues call me to action - the people I meet (mainly through the Sierra Club) through that are awesome kind, smart, and wonderful. Our emotional lives drive our experiences in life - and the people make our lives rock.

The author tells us of the famous in Canada, Japanese-Canadian environmentalist, David Suzuki who the author heard speak at Harvard University - Suzuki is, "well known through his long-running TV show and regular newspaper columns..." The article explores the semantics of terms like "Environment, Green, Eco, Biosphere, Ecology, Economy -- and it explores the limitations of these terms. Cool. Are we merely being "relatively less environmentally damaging?"

I've had a long run of being Anti-Establishmentarian!

Page 13 has an article about how to get on "Google's Hidden Payroll." It's easy, so anybody with a Blog or website should do it - provided they are willing to subject their viewers to pop up adds. "The ads are contextually matched to content on the host site, so a blog post about having a headache might attract ads for pain-relief medicine." !!! Could be fun. It certainly has been profitable for Jayant Kuman Gandhi. Who couldn't use an extra $1,000 a month? Last year the Google Adsense program "accounted for nearly half of its advertisng revenues.

"... a way to both monetize and enhance your content pages.

It's also a way for website publishers to provide Google web and site search to their visitors, and to earn money by displaying Google ads on the search results pages."

https://www.google.com/adsense/?sourceid=ASO&subid=US-HA-06Jan05

Google AdSense
Offers a contextual advertising solution to web publishers Delivers text-based Google AdWords ads that are relevant to site content pages.
https://www.google.com/adsense/ - 29k - Cached - Similar pages

Google Advertising
Allows you to buy advertising on the Google search engine, or on other sites through its AdSense program. Includes a tour and FAQ.
www.google.com/ads/ - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

Google AdSense:
Discussions around Googles Text Ad service AdSense. [url=http://www.webmasterworld. com/forum89/612.htm]AdSense FAQ[/url]. The Google World Google AdSense.
www.webmasterworld.com/forum89/ - Similar pages

I'm keen on Digital Video Editing on my Mac computer - especially with Final Cut Studio Apps from Apple. In fact, I'm on the steering committee of Digital Video Detroit, an arm (SIG) of Mac Group Detroit.

Pages 13 and 16 have the article "The 'queen' of online camcorder reviews is still in college." It says, "College Junior Robin Liss" is the founder, sole owner, and CEO of the most ppopular site for information on buying video camcorders: CamCorderinfo.Com Another neat site is http://www.easycamcorders.com/content/Beginners-Guide.htm

Some of my friends are interested in buying HD Video cameras. I really want them to get together to discuss it, perhaps this site CamCorderinfo.Com will help them make better, more cost effective, decisions. A problem I see with HD is that the related costs for producing in it are increased at the same rate as the information in the digital video signal!

Have an attitude problem? Please try going 'back to basics' first before resorting to ineffective psychiatry or mind altering prescription drugs.

Currently reading : Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga (Paperback)) By C.S. Forester Release date: 30 April, 1985

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Respect
Current mood: chipper

Last Thursday's CSM (Christian Science Monitor) had a great article about the lack of respect people, and groups of people, give each other. Partly it was dealing with the uproar (and many deaths) in muslim parts of the world regarding the cartoons that ridiculed Islam and its prophet. Then it went into the violence of many individuals who felt disrespected as they grew up. Then it described how giving respect can be very curative.

Since learning of 12-Step recovery I've noticed that in many areas of life our societies seem to be failing to give adequate guidance. People are doing the best they can based on the (often extremely) limited information they have. As I approach 50 years of age I want to develop the mindfulness that some buddhist teachers (like Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese), Koreans, and Tibetans) teach. If we can't be kind to ourselves and each other then my belief is that we have failed the test of whatever religion we adhere to, or were raised in.

What do you believe about this?

hn

July 18, 2006 Last week I was walking in the Roseville Costco, and as it happens, I was wearing a Jennifer Granholm for Governor T-Shirt. A man came up to me and belligerantly said, "You dare wear that in public?" I had no response, so I've been asking people I meet what happened to civil-discourse? Democracy is supposed to run on people talking to each other about the issues.

One neighbor suggested the best come-back I've heard so far, "Yes." A Republican in Bally's locker room replied that Democrats are worse because of the things they say about our President GW Bush, and other Republican leaders. I had told him that Republicans had been extremely rude to me just for holding or wearing campaign items, and that they had also decided to outright lie to me personally because of my political views. I think he's wrong. I think that the Republican party is down right nasty - and Democrats are reacting with great restraint - something the Republican leadership is NOT encouraging in its members. Take Dick DeVos as an example.

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First Entry - Hal N.
Current mood: accomplished
Category: News and Politics

The Sierra Club is doing great work for the cause of Environmentalism. We can also find non-political activities (like hikes) with them. Pull their site up, and check out your local club(s)! Also the social opportunities are good (nice people!).

http://www.sierraclub.org/

Enjoy!

The Weather Channel has put on the web a number of short videos about Global Warming in 3 tabbed categories: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. Here's the URL:

http://climate.weather.com/?ref=14119fc825a5579360041488244b1f7860527dd4

The news media has roundly been failing at keeping our citizens abreast of the facts and consequences of global warming..s dire threat. We need to define why our world needs us to take a rapid, global, political response to this urgent problem. To rectify this, I recommend that all citizens read 2 books:

The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth
by Tim Flannery

and,

Boiling Point: How Politicians, Big Oil and Coal, Journalists and Activists Are Fueling the Climate Crisis--And What We Can Do to Avert Disaster
by Ross Gelbspan

Global warming is a dire and immediate threat as anyone who has read "The Weather Makers" and "Boiling Point" will likely tell you. If you have not, please read these two soon. Lots of other issues are like fighting fires instead of catching the arsonist.

The Boiling Point makes an important point - environmentalists need to help dispel the denial - not just assuage our sadness over the situation by changing to CFLs. Don't get me wrong, CFLs and other action steps are great.

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