Tuesday, April 5, 2011

“I trust U” is a better compliment than “I luv U"


“I trust U”
is a better compliment
than “I luv U"
coz U may not 
always trust d 1 U luv,
but believe me,
U cn always luv d person
U trust 4 d rest of ur life.

A good person close to me
asked me one day
“What if I broke
your trust someday..?”
I replied “trusting U
was my decision and
proving me right is
Ur choice.”

Difficult to tell what loving is like;
Impossible to tell what missing is like;
May you never miss whom you luv &
may whom you luv miss you always.






Live with intention.

Walk to the edge.

Listen hard.

Practice wellness.

Play with abandon.

Laugh.

Choose with no regret.

Continue to learn.

Appreciate your friends.

Do what you love.

Love as if this is all there is.


Free Energy and the Worldwide Strategy for Suppression of That Technology


Free Energy and the Worldwide Strategy for Suppression of That Technology
When you look around you at the modern world, what stands out the most? What single thing can be said to define this modern era, as opposed to earlier times? The answer is "energy." Whether you live in Belgium or Santa Ana, Atlanta or Calgary, Mexico City or Perth, the one constant in your life is the need for energy.
The Immense Need for Energy of AH Types
Energy is needed in every aspect of modern life. From the electricity used within your home by devices like your computer, TV, Bluray player and your alarm clock to the energy needed to get your car from point A to point B, there is nothing more pervasive.
Our world needs energy; it simply cannot function without it. Moreover, that energy comes at a price. You pay for your gas by the gallon and your electricity by the watt. Energy is metered and doled out in parcels, with a premium attached to each little packet. That premium comes directly from your pocket and fattens the energy producers' bank accounts.
Of course, there is also the environmental cost of energy production. Oil and gasoline require drilling into the depths of the earth, looking for ever-scarcer deposits of crude oil. Even electricity production comes at a high cost to the environment, with pollution being only one of the many side effects that continues to damage and alter our world.
Most people think little about this. After all, you have to pay for that energy, right? You have to pay energy producers for the result of their hard work, correct?

What if there was a better way, though? Interestingly, there is a better way, but you have been kept in the dark about it. Free energy generation has been a concept for more than a hundred years. In fact, it is more than just a wistful idea, a concept without proof. It is real, but there are those who do not want you to know about it.
Who Benefits from Suppressing Free Energy Devices?
The natural question here is who actually benefits if free energy production is suppressed? The answer to that question should be glaringly obvious. Big Oil certainly benefits from suppressing innovative devices that generate free energy. If such devices were openly available for the general public, where would companies like BP earn their money?
However, Big Oil is not the only concern here. Where would your electric company get its money if you were to stop needing a steady supply from the power grid? What would investors do if you no longer needed gasoline in your car, oil for the engine or oil and gas for your home's heating and cooling system?
The government is involved as well. Through special interest groups and lobbyists, Big Oil, the word's automakers and many other entities are able to control our government and suppress things that they deem harmful to themselves.
If that sounds like "crazy talk," you need only consider the mysterious circumstances surrounding some of the most important inventors of yesterday and today. Many of these inventors were disgraced or blackmailed into taking their inventions off the market. Some have even died under what seem like more than suspicious circumstances.
What inventors have had their creations suppressed? Actually, the list is surprisingly long. There are hundreds of inventions that have been proven to offer significant benefits, only to be gobbled up and hidden away by major corporations or suppressed and forced to go underground by government agencies.

Of course, it is not just government and Big Oil that is responsible for suppressing inventions and research into free energy devices. Consider the case of Eugene Marlove, a proponent of cold fusion. He promoted the results of two Utah researchers (Rons and Fleischman) who claimed to have achieved cold fusion in their laboratory, but had their research suppressed by the very scientific community that should have supported them.
Tragically, Marlove was beaten to death on the streets of Norwich, Connecticut, by an assailant who was never brought to justice. While the police claimed robbery was the cause of the murder, many believed it was related to his work. Others researching cold fusion have also claimed to have had their work ridiculed and suppressed by the scientific and academic community.
Stanley Meyer claimed to have invented a water fuel cell that would power a vehicle, and even managed to patent the device. Meyer died suspiciously in 1998, immediately after eating at a restaurant. While cerebral aneurism was the cause cited by the coroner, many people believe that he was poisoned and that agents of Big Oil and the government were to blame.
The 5 Most Important Inventions Suppressed
While there have been hundreds of beneficial inventions suppressed by governments and corporations around the world, there are some that stand out. These include inventions from the likes of Nikola Tesla and Ed Gray, as well as others.

The Tesla Fuel-Less Generator:
Nikola Tesla is considered to have been a man ahead of his time. He was responsible for inventing the alternating current system of electricity that remains in use today, as well as for a number of other dramatic inventions. During the late 1890s, he began working on a generator that would produce electricity without the need for any fuel. However, Tesla was ruined by J.P. Morgan in an effort to keep Morgan's oil revenues high.
The Ed
During the 1970s, inventor Edwin V. Gray developed, built and patented a self-powering motor. Dubbed "the motor that runs itself," testing of an early prototype showed that it was far more efficient than any device then operating. In fact, his invention was of such importance that he was able to count investors like Bing Crosby and Boot Mallory in his backers. Gray died mysteriously in Nevada before his device could be brought into mass production.
Stanley Meyer's Water Fuel Cell:
As mentioned previously, Meyer's fuel cell. This device was supposed to be enough to power a car from Los Angeles to New York and only use 22 gallons of water to do it - water, not gasoline. The fuel cell worked by splitting water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen, which were then burned as fuel. Meyer died under suspicious circumstances, which many took to be poisoning.
Thomas Beardert's                                Electromagnetic Generator:
Bearden has worked on a number of devices, including the motionless electromagnetic generator, a modified Wankel engine and several others. Due to pressure from the UN and other regulatory bodies, Bearden has not been able to produce his inventions in a commercially viable way.

Water-Splitting Technology;
Similar to Meyer's work, there have been other breakthroughs in the area of splitting water atoms apart to utilize the hydrogen and oxygen contained herein. One of the most notable was Dr. Andrija Puharich, who was granted a patent for such a device in 1983.
These are only five of the many advances in energy production technology that have been actively suppressed by the US and world governments, as well as by powerful corporations seeking to ensure a steady stream of profit to their bank accounts. However, this technology is real, and can give you the benefit of free energy - whether you want to power your car, your home or your entire block in some instances!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Draiman’s Plan for Los Angeles Economic Prosperity

 
Draiman’s Plan for Los Angeles Economic Prosperity
 
 
 
Draiman believes that businesses – not government – are the chief engine of job creation and economic growth in LA. With a particular focus on small and innovative businesses, Draiman will focus on creating an environment that helps businesses to thrive by ending redundant regulations, simplifying the way small businesses interact with City government, and opening City contracts to the best qualified rather than the best connected.
LA’s strength and economic vitality are directly tied to the health and livability of its neighborhoods – communities where people can live, work and stay. Creating healthy communities and neighborhood jobs and investments, require careful planning and systematic implementation. Draiman’s plan will make sure planning efforts are coordinated and backed by sufficient resources to deliver results.
 
 
 
 
Improve LA's Position as a Global Technology and Education Leader
Draiman knows that continued job growth means supporting innovation and investing in emerging technology and talent. Draiman will support the growth of the technology industry in LA, giving entrepreneurs and technology talent the support they need to innovate, grow and stay in LA.
A campus for technological innovation
Draiman will accelerate LA’s growth as a global hub of technology innovation and start-ups, supporting the establishment of a technology innovation hub to promote collaboration and help technology businesses succeed. Google revolutionized the "technology campus" approach to innovation by providing a centralized work space with access to like-minded innovators, venture capitalists and, most importantly, to good transportation options and great food. Draiman will work with local businesses and investors to create a similar campus in LA. The campus will be close to multiple transit lines and bike infrastructure. Space will be available for businesses that focus on IT and green technologies.
Market LA for the next generation of tech employees and entrepreneurs
Draiman is committed to attracting and keeping the next generation of talent in LA. Working with private sector partners, Draiman will launch an annual recruitment weekend where the best and brightest from city and regional universities are brought to LA for an introduction to local tech companies and the city – to recruit and keep the talent here and out of Silicon Valley. Not just students from the City Colleges of LA, UIC, Northwestern, DePaul and other local schools, but also from Champaign, Purdue, Washington University, Ann Arbor and Madison Wisconsin. The weekend will be built around LA Ideas Week, LA's first annual week-long platform of ideas and innovation. LA Ideas Week will take place at venues throughout the city, featuring great thinkers, doers, and innovators from around the world, descending on LA to help us see the future and to shape it.
Create a “LA Workers of the Future” program
Businesses choose to grow in LA because of a diverse and educated talent pool. Draiman wants to ensure that more LA Public School high school students are given exposure to - and preparation for - viable college and employment options. He will establish a 'LA Workers for the Future' program that partners private businesses with LA's high schools and community colleges, giving students career-specific training they need to create a direct path from school to the workforce or higher education in their chosen area of study.
In addition to their regular course of study, students will have access to classes in technical instruction that will include a curriculum jointly developed with the private sponsor. Each student will also have a guaranteed internship with the program's sponsor between their junior and senior year, and will receive an industry-specific credential or certification upon graduation.
Invest in a skilled workforce that meets employer needs
Job training programs work when they are tailored to the needs of employers, but too many programs are disconnected from employers or the skills and requirements of the workplace. Draiman’s administration will conduct a comprehensive review of all job training programs supported by the City, and require that they are coordinated, have clear performance metrics and direct links to real jobs and employers. As part of the review, Draiman will meet with the CEOs and leadership of the major employers in LA and ask them straightforward questions about what they need from job training programs to hire and retain more LA workers.
Increase support to small businesses by expanding and enhancing the Small Business Improvement Fund
Sometimes, even the strongest small businesses need financial help. Today’s tough economy and highly constrained credit markets have been particularly hard on small neighborhood businesses, making it difficult, if not impossible to invest and grow. Draiman believes in the economic potential of these LA businesses and is ready to help invest in their future by expanding and enhancing the Small Business Improvement Fund (SPIF.) (Small Business Improvement Fund) SPIF is a program targeted at small businesses located in TIF districts. The program provides grants up to $150,000 to qualifying small businesses to invest in their facilities. Draiman will increase funding for the SPIF program by $15 million annually. He will increase the cap on grant awards to $200,000, expand eligibility for LA businesses, and allow for progress payments to grant recipients as projects are implemented and reduce match requirements to address the difficulty that many LA businesses are having accessing credit to finance needed improvements.
Modernize LA's Approach to Keeping and Growing Industrial Jobs
Industrial jobs are a critical part of LA’s diverse economy, but continued competition for these well paying jobs means that LA has to be ready to compete to keep and expand its industrial base. Draiman will make sure LA is ready, making the necessary infrastructure investments, helping with land assembly and financing and creating a tax and business climate that attracts and retains industry and jobs.
Establish an effective LA Manufacturing Participation Loan program
One of the biggest impediments to the growth and success of LA’s small and mid-sized manufacturers is the inability to access capital. With the tightening of the financial markets, loans for the purchase of new equipment and materials have become increasingly scarce. Start-up operations with minimal collateral and little credit history have been especially hard hit. While many current government loan programs (including the City’s existing participation loan program) provide borrowers with access to cheap financing, they are largely ineffective in generating new lending in today’s economy because they do nothing to minimize the exposure of risk adverse banks and other lenders.
Draiman will create a $25 million Manufacturing Participation Loan Program that will address this problem helping to free up desperately needed financing for the modernization of many LA manufacturers. Under Draiman’s program, the City will work with banks and other conventional lending institutions to provide subordinated financial assistance to small and mid-size industrial operations.
The City’s participation in any loan won’t exceed 30 percent of total project costs and will be capped at $1,500,000. Manufacturers with 800 or fewer employees will be eligible. Loans could be used for the installation of machinery and equipment, working capital, purchase of land, construction or renovation of buildings. Funds cannot be used for debt refinancing or contingency funding. Participating lending institution shall be responsible for reviewing applications for eligibility and setting terms.
Connect people to jobs
Affordable and convenient transportation is essential to provide access to all Los Angelinos to employment. Draiman’s transportation agenda will make the investments that make LA a more attractive place for job growth. From making LA the West hub of high-speed rail to extending the Rail Line to the outlaying areas, Draiman will improve commute times for residents, establish convenient transportation links to growing employment centers and create regional industrial and commercial development opportunities in and near the new transit stations.
Move beyond planning to upgrade LA’s and the region’s freight infrastructure
LA is a leader in freight transport. It stands as a major hub for the country, sustaining 25,000 jobs and nearly $4 billion in annual economic activity, but that leadership and the economic benefits that go with it are in jeopardy. Freight rail traffic is projected to double over the next two decades, far outstripping the capacity of LA’s and the region’s infrastructure. The congestion and freight rail bottleneck are not just an inconvenience for the businesses that use rail to move goods to market, they are a tremendous threat to LA’s economy that must be addressed or LA will lose its position as the national leader.
The LA Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (LREATE) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between federal, state and city governments, along with Metro, Dash, Amtrak and the nation's freight railroads to invest in capital improvements to increase the efficiency of the region's rail infrastructure. Draiman will provide the leadership to move LREATE from an innovative strategy to a fully implemented reality. He will lobby federal and state governments to fully-fund the initiative and push expedite its implementation.
Draiman also knows that we need to do more than just implement LREATE, we need to seize the economic opportunities that come from it and prepare for what happens after it. Draiman will make sure LA is ready – he will direct his administration to assemble large tracts of developable land, coordinate economic development planning and incentives, and implement complementary infrastructure investments to maximize job creation and retention. At the same time, he will work with other public and private sector leaders to establish a framework for long term investment and improvement in freight infrastructure and better coordination with passenger rail service as the demand for that service grows.
Reform the California International Port District
The Port District region is poised for industrial growth, but seizing the opportunity for growth will take effective leadership and institutions. The California International Port District is a major landowner. With a board jointly appointed by the Mayor and the Governor, the District manages both port operations and the industrial land and leases for private firms located on District property. The Port District has to be reformed and modernized to support industrial and environmental restoration of those areas of the city. Draiman will work with the Governor to make modernization of the Port District an economic development priority. He will commission a complete management audit of its functions and performance and establish clear qualifications for board and staff appointments and a detailed roadmap for making the Port and effective partner in the redevelopment of this critical region.
Enhance Industrial Revenue bonds
Industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) are tax-exempt financing vehicles typically issued by state or local governments to provide qualified manufacturing companies with an inexpensive form of debt. Under the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the applicability of IRB’s was greatly expanded to include activities beyond traditional manufacturing such as certain types of research and development and elements of warehousing and distribution. The new IRBs could be an important tool for economic revitalization, but they continue to be an unusable tool for many LA manufacturers looking to finance expansion due to unrealistic ceilings on total project costs. Draiman will lobby the federal government to reform the IRB (Industrial Revenue Bond) law to promote urban redevelopment, increasing IRB caps on capital costs and streamlining requirements.
Overhaul Planning to Promote Economic Development in Every
Neighborhood
Effective planning is the starting point for community development, but LA’s community planning efforts have been gutted, lack strategic focus and are ineffective. Community planning modeled after other successful New Communities program, needs to be implemented in a comprehensive way by the City. But plans only improve communities when they are implemented, and Draiman will make sure plans don’t just sit on the shelf. His administration will implement plans in a systematic and coordinated fashion to increase the impact, speed improvements and make dollars go further.
Make sure the City invests to make plans an implemented reality
Cities implement plans through land use and permitting decisions, strategic capital investments, provision of high quality services and creation of a supportive business environment for investment and job creation. Currently, the City has too many plans and not enough coordination and implementation. The City’s Capital Improvement Program, individual TIF Redevelopment plans, and the Community Development Block Grant Action Plan, allocate well over $4 billion annually, but don’t effectively coordinate that spending or define clear development and return on investment objectives for the dollars spent. As a result, opportunities are missed and accountability lost. As Mayor, Draiman will require that any plan must be accompanied by detailed multi-year investment strategy to get it implemented. He will direct Housing & Economic Development, Law and Budget to develop those strategies, and fully incorporate them into the City codes and regulations, the Capital Improvement Program, individual and city-wide TIF (Tax Increment Financing) plans and the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Action Plan.
Provide aggressive redevelopment leadership to help communities hard hit by the recession
Real estate values have lost 40 – 50% during the recession – much more in low to moderate income communities. LA’s most vulnerable communities are also plagued by high rates of foreclosure, unemployment, business vacancies and abandonment. The City estimates that there are approximately 25,000 vacant buildings and 12,000 to 18,000 vacant lots in LA. In communities hardest hit by the recession, there are severe barriers to private investment, and City leadership and action are essential. Draiman will make sure LA utilizes every tool possible – like land donations, demolition liens, and non-cash bids on delinquent taxes – to make sure investments are targeted and comprehensive, to give communities the greatest chance to redevelop and succeed. Draiman’s strategy will develop and implement plans for re-use of all buildings and vacant lots in the targeted areas from rehab and new construction, to adjacent neighbor land donations, parking improvements, community gardens and urban agriculture.
For example, Draiman’s plan to address food deserts will employ urban agriculture as an effective transitional use in communities hard hit by disinvestment. Draiman will increase support for urban agriculture by recognizing the important role that it can play in overall community development, systematically evaluating the potential of vacant lots and making more effective use of funds like the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program and Community Development Block Grants to bring fresh produce, jobs and redevelopment to hard hit neighborhoods.
Make strategic capital investments and coordinate land assembly and disposition to spur development
Modern and efficient infrastructure and ready access to available land are essential to job creation and economic development, and produce the biggest economic impact when they are planned and implemented in a coordinated manner. Draiman will establish clear polices that set economic development metrics for infrastructure investments and land acquisition decisions, and he will report publicly how the City is performing.
Draiman’s plan for the Rail Line expansion demonstrates the benefits of this strategic approach. He will start by issuing an executive order that establishes clear and consistent principles for transit oriented development (TOD) (Transit Oriented Development) – expedited permitting, set-aside of city-owned property to expand car sharing and bike parking, assistance with land assembly, expanded use of tax credits and loan guarantees, and identification of instances where the City will jointly invest with CTA to improve the transit system. The order will recognize the clear link between housing and transportation costs in keeping neighborhoods affordable, and will evaluate TOD improvements on their ability to reduce the combined cost of housing and transportation for LA residents. This policy will help to focus all investment – including in LA’s TIF districts – around developments that integrate station upgrades with mixed-use developments.
The Rail Line investments will then be linked to other strategies like his plan to bring healthy food to underserved areas, and Draiman will coordinate infrastructure investments to spur development of new stores, making sites more attractive to developers and more convenient for customers. Grocery stores will be a critical part of his transit oriented development policy and a priority for new station developments as part of the construction of the Rail Line expansion.
Free Business to Innovate and Expand
LA’s bureaucracy and tax structure stand in the way of business growth and job creation. Draiman will target the regressive taxes that undermine business expansion and professionalize inspection and regulatory programs, making them fair and effective. Draiman will make it easier for businesses to understand their obligations and comply with the law so they can focus on the critical job of creating jobs and rebuilding LA’s economy.
Cut taxes that impede business growth
Too many parts of the LA tax code are impediments to growth. The City boasts the highest sales tax of any big city in the country, burdening consumers and making it harder for LA retailers to compete. In fact, LA lags behind the State and nation in retail jobs – losing sales and jobs to on-line transactions and businesses outside of LA. Draiman’s plan would cut LA’s portion of the sales tax by 20 percent – from 1.25% to 1% – while working with state legislators to expand the tax base by closing the loopholes that allow luxury services to go untaxed. Taken together with county action to return its sales tax rate to 2007 levels, these changes will reduce the sales tax in LA to 9% from the current 9.75% by 2014. Draiman plans to eliminate the gross revenue tax, which is an impediment to new business.
Smaller businesses are also burdened by a regressive percent-based natural gas tax. When gas prices skyrocket, the City reaps a tax windfall at the expense of LA businesses and homeowners. Draiman will convert the utility tax to a fixed per-unit fee, giving a break to taxpayers and reducing financial barriers to improving building energy efficiency. Draiman’s plan to quadruple energy efficiency upgrades will then be available so those businesses can get the financial support they need to invest in efficiency upgrades that cut energy costs and increase competitiveness.
For businesses, the so-called “gross revenue tax” penalizes business creation in LA by adding a tax for every gross receipts. LA’s economic well-being depends on its ability to attract, create and retain good paying jobs in critical sectors like manufacturing so that all Los Angelinos have access to employment opportunities. Taxing manufacturers and other employers for the jobs they create is bad, short-sighted policy and Draiman will put a stop to it. He has proposed a complete phase-out of the tax over the next four years, with a full offset of the revenue lost by reducing duplicative regulatory requirements and bureaucracy that further burden investment and job creation.
Cut bureaucratic red tape and streamline business permitting, regulation and inspections
LA businesses face a dizzying array of City regulations, fees and requirements that are difficult to navigate and far too often, inconsistently applied. The requirements can discourage innovation and job creation and can be especially daunting for small businesses. The system is too complex and regulation, permitting and enforcement are too splintered.
Draiman will make it easier to follow the law, streamlining the bureaucracy and professionalizing regulatory programs. He will issue an executive order that mandates a coordinated inspection process and requires department heads to work together to simplify and standardize licensing and permit processes. The complete review of regulatory programs will cover everything from simplifying permit forms to upgrading professional training and certification requirements for city inspectors. The use of nationally recognized codes and standards will be increased to modernize and simplify compliance. He will reduce duplicative inspections that create confusion and waste taxpayer resources and increase opportunities for self certification of compliance for routine matters by licensed professionals.
Make it easier to work with the City establishing an on-line, one stop for businesses
The vast majority of LA businesses want to comply with the law, respect the important and legitimate role of government in protecting consumers and don’t object to reasonable taxes and fees. But the City makes it too difficult for hard-working businesspeople to work with the City and follow the law. LA business is burdened by excessive paperwork and out of date City bureaucratic processes. Draiman will eliminate burdensome reporting requirements and establish easy, paperless reporting for all business permit, regulatory and procurement transactions within 24 months of taking office. All businesses will able to file for permits, certify performance, file bids and proposals for city work and check the status of City action electronically. Businesses will only have to use paper reports if they choose to do so. He will further enhance electronic services with and easy, smart phone application that will include filing compliance information regarding City inspections. Businesses will be able to use their smart phones to file their applications and submit information like photos of compliance as part of City inspections. The on-line system will be the backbone of a one-stop shop for business dealings with the City, and Draiman will appoint a strong advocate for businesses so they don’t have to waste time and money trying to navigate the maze of City agencies and requirements.
Overhaul LA’s broken procurement process
LA’s government is one of the largest consumers of goods and services in the city, processing contracts valued at nearly $1.9 billion in the last year alone. But the City’s procurement process is antiquated, slow, and not transparent. Draiman will work to professionalize procurement by increasing coordination of procurement efforts and dramatically expanding joint purchasing with the City’s sister agencies. Streamlining these disparate processes will result in common forms, standards, and reporting requirements so that companies – and small businesses in particular – face lower entry barriers to city contracts.
As part of Draiman’s overhaul, there will be a new LAFirst policy to mandate that procurements decisions will favor LA companies when all other factors are equal. Draiman believes that by using the purchasing power of the city, we can help small businesses stay and grow right here in LA.

American economy in crises - a long time coming


American economy in crises - a long time coming

When a country and its society import more than they export for over a quarter of a century, it is bound to erode the economy to its primate state.

We have only ourselves to blame, what goods and products are we exporting, what goods and services are produced in the USA, the answer is very little by comparison.

In the past 50 years as our population has increased, technology advanced, we have become a nation that consumes enormous amounts of resources, we shop for competitive prices. Corporate America is constantly looking to increase the bottom line.

Most of the goods for and by Americans and its companies are produced overseas and in the past decade with the advancement of telecommunications, many of the services sector are also imported.

The increased costs of energy over the past 10 years, has affected the economy to unimaginable comprehension.

This economic activity has eroded our economy to its core. It seems that the situation is getting worse every year. American debts are increasing beyond our wildest dreams, endangering the future economic vitality of our future generation.

I hope it is not too late for our society to recognize the graveness of our economic predicament and its resolve to take appropriate action to stem the tide of our economic downturn.

Americans are a nation of great technology and knowhow. We must utilize that technology and our resources to find new means to regain our economic independence.

We must face and implement fiscal responsibility, both by the government and the population with its infrastructure of corporate America.

It is no longer an option, it is a must if we as a nation want to survive and retain our way of life and economic vitality.

Inflation, recession and financial crises are here. Let us take the bull by the horn, initiate immediate actions to minimize and hopefully reverse our economic crises.

YJay Draiman, Northridge, CA.

PS
The US economy has enormous momentum. Metaphorically speaking, if someone turned off the locomotive that drives the US economy, the economy would go on for miles before anyone would likely notice something was wrong. But something has been wrong for many years. Is there really hope for the future? Maybe! But the terrible truth is that no one really knows. But if there is hope, we're already on the wrong track. And that has to change..

Green mentality and growth is a harbinger for a new world civilization


Green mentality and growth is a harbinger for a new world civilization

A. Green practice and growth is a turning point in human history

i. Is nature an object to be conquered, used, and developed? New technology has changed the balance.

Ever since the first Industrial Revolution, we human beings have achieved a remarkable economic development. Thanks to the development, we can live much better lives than our ancestors. However, despite the 17 folds increase in income, more than 3 billion people are still suffering from the absolute poverty. Although we now produce foods in quantities larger than what all human beings can consume, many people are starved to death. Disparities between the richest and the poorest countries keep on widening. Many people are still suffering from hunger, diseases, oppression, and human rights violations. And unceasing international conflicts are killing many people.
Among the changes that have occurred since the Industrial Revolution, the reversal in our relationship with the nature is most ominous. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, humans had always revered the nature and regarded it as the source of life. As most of what the nature did was unfathomable to humans, they feared and worshiped the nature.
The economic progress had changed these. With the tools and machines that had become newly available, and with knowledge and skills they were able to acquire the power of humans began to grow very rapidly. In contrast the power of the nature grew rather slowly. Moreover, humans, especially those who lived in rapidly developing regions, became so confident as to regard the nature as something to be conquered and exploited.
The burdens we humans imposed on the nature began to outweigh the self regenerating power of the nature. Rapidly increased uses of natural resources such as timber, coal, oil, gas, and other minerals began to outgrow what the nature could regenerate. Enormous amounts of green fields, mountains, and “wetlands were developed” and “numerous rivers, lakes, and oceans were heavily used and sometimes completely remade”. The wastes and pollutants that humans threw back to the nature had increased so much as to make the quality of water, air, and soils in and around some areas where humans maintained economic activities almost unbearable.
Prior to the first industrial revolution, the average income of humans had remained at around $500. It grew to around $8,000 by 2009, a sixteen folds increase. The population, which was about 1 billion in 1750, is about 7 billion now. These suggest that the world GDP has increased at least by 111 times. With 31 to 1 resources-output ratio, this amounts to an increase in resource uses by more than 3,010 times. An enormous amount, indeed! And this does not include the losses caused by pollution.
When the population was small and economic activities were simple, the amount of the environmental capital humans used was smaller than what the nature could regenerate. But toward the latter half of the 20th century, the amount of the natural capital used up and destroyed or polluted began to outweigh the regenerating capacity of the nature. In particular toward the end of the century, the amount depleted grew much bigger.
For some time now, nature has been sending out strong signals that we cannot go on like this. It says,
"You are putting too much burden on me. As a result I am losing my regenerating power. If this goes on like this, there will come a point when neither you nor I can survive. If you do not change your behaviors and stop hurting me, I might do something awful to you to teach a lesson."
As evidence, just look at the followings.
(i) The probability for coal, oil, and gas may completely dry up is rapidly rising.
(ii) Pure water and clean air, which were typical examples of free goods, are getting scarcer and scarcer.
(iii) The ecology of the earth is under heavy threats. Every year numerous species go extinct.
(iv) Too much green house gas emission and the resulting global warming continue to upset the world’s weather system. Abnormal climate events might wipe out human civilizations.
How has the industrial progress that was believed to bring a never-ending prosperity for humans gone astray? What is wrong with the economic progress we have made? It is mainly because we have treated the nature as an object to be used and conquered, we have pursued too narrowly defined selfish interests, and we have blindly followed the motto, "becoming wealthy is everything." The ill perceived selfish nationalism is constantly causing conflicts and wars in many regions of the world. The fundamentally wrong attitudes toward the nature are destroying our environments and as punishment we face now abominable weather disasters.
ii. We should say NO to these neglects and abuse of the environment
We cannot leave the imbalance between man and nature as it is. If we insist on preserving the way how we have been living, our lives may soon be at a mercy of resource depletion and natural disasters. When lives are threatened, nations may turn against each other and may self destroy through senseless wars. This could bring an end to the (material) civilization we have now. Even when it is not destroyed, living in an extremely dirty and polluted environment would be a nightmare.
Fortunately we humans are not that stupid. Already many people see the threats and they have begun to change how they think and behave. Increasingly more and more people, understanding fully well how important the nature and good environment are, are doing positive things for the environment.
However, those who highly value the quality of the environment are deficient in one important aspect. They do not provide an answer to the basic problem of alleviating the extreme poverty, under which billions of people are suffering. In the name of protecting the environment, should we shut our eyes to the problems of hunger and disease?
The philosophy behind the green growth initiatives is very different. It is neither human-centered nor nature-centered. It cares equally for nature and man. They not only point out problems, but also suggest plausible solutions and cures. Green growth is a thought that tries to achieve economic growth and environmental progress all at the same time, relying on scientific and pragmatic methods. The philosophy is that by successfully implementing the green growth initiatives we can avoid crossing the ecological threshold and restore the rightful balance between man and nature.
B. The emergence and the implementation of the green civilization
i. Green civilization is being ushered by the green practice and growth initiatives
The goal of green growth initiatives is to transform the materialistic civilization of last three centuries into a green civilization of the 21st century. It is an attempt to change the quantitative growth of yester years based on material wellbeing to the qualitative growth based on harmonious co-existence of man and nature.
The green growth initiatives take the relationship between man and nature, or between economy and environment, as mutually invigorating. There is no reason why their relationship should be one of tradeoffs. Through programs that care for the environment as well as man, the initiatives aim to build strong bases on which a truly sustainable development is possible. By fundamentally changing our thoughts and deeds, the initiatives aim to make the earth a place where not only man, but also the nature can prosper for a long time to come.
The green growth initiatives can be effective in transforming the materialistic paradigm into a green paradigm. The materialistic paradigm seeks an economic progress of the man for the man. It takes the natural environment as means toward that goal. It sees everything mainly from the man’s perspectives. The green paradigm, on the other hand, seeks progress of both man and nature. It takes the natural environment as an equal partner of man. It is not an object to be conquered and used, but a partner with whom we engage in fruitful exchanges. It sees everything from the perspectives of the entire ecology.
Green civilization seeks a sustainable development that can greatly improve the quality of life for all living creatures. It recognizes what the nature can do for the human beings and at the same time what the human beings can do to the nature. In the era of green civilization, man would still rely on the nature for their living. But at the same time man recognizes that unless he takes good care of the nature, it can be destroyed and polluted beyond repair.
ii. The 21st Century is an era of implementation of the green civilization
Many countries in the world are currently striving to take leading positions in the global race in green technologies, green products, and green industries. The green competition is on.
Can America successfully join in the global green race and hopefully win in some areas? The answer is a conditional yes. The first step is to remake the soft infrastructure. A strong determination of leaders and policy makers to pull off the green revolution would help. However, will power alone cannot make things happen. It should be supported with comprehensive policies based on careful analyses.
America’s competitiveness in the global green race would be determined more by software than by hardware. Transforming existing production facilities and social hard infrastructure from brown to green is important. But at this stage of development and for green growth, people, their human capital, ideas and technologies, and systems and norms, i.e., the software of the country, are much more important.
Cultivating the new engines of growth is important for America to become an advanced country. However, it should not become the main focus of the green growth strategies. If we pay too much attention to the growth aspect of the green growth, we may well end up with yet another quantitative development.
The green growth initiatives should not be taken as predominantly scientific and technological programs, either. They should be more comprehensive programs encompassing economic, social, and environmental aspects of human lives.
America’s goal in the green race is not winning itself. Rather by participating in the race with utmost sincerity and hearts, America wants to be the most admirable change agent that would usher in the green civilization. Her goal is to become a leader who would contribute toward making the earth a most sustainable place where all human beings can live happily among themselves and harmoniously with the nature.
iii. Land that practices green civilization
America’s name People in the U.S. generally refer to the country as America and the citizens as Americans. For this America is sometimes called the land of opportunity.
Just imagine that early in the morning you are up and out in the garden greeting flowers, trees, and birds. The darkness of the night is receding and over the distant mountains you can see a new sun is about to rise. The sky is blue and the morning breeze cools your cheek. Crystal clear water overflows from the small spring well in the corner. You drink one glass and immediately feel that your body and mind are cleansed. Many are still in bed, but all the small creatures are busy going about their morning routines. Out in the field you gather dew laden fresh vegetables. On seeing the natures bounties and thinking of neighbors to whom you can bring those bounties, you feel happy and smile contentedly.
This calm, serene, and clean image of an early morning would make most Americans happy. Indeed many Americans on the way to work gather strengths from the nature they pass by. And that is why millions of Americans flock to the nearby mountains and riverside parks on weekends and holidays. They want to be near the nature.
Indeed, the traditional ideal for Americans was to become one with the nature. Americans believed that the nature was omnipotent and bountiful but man was weak and limited. They regarded nature as the fountain of life. The fountain, when kept and managed properly, would supply sufficient water for human needs. Thus they believed. They also believed that they should share the water with other creatures. Therefore not only must they keep the fountain clean, but they should also use it sparingly.
This ideal, however, became rather impotent when the material aspects of the Western civilization invaded America. The allure of economic progress and their accompanying material affluence were too strong temptations for Americans to resist. What people needed were jobs, money to buy foodstuffs, clothes, places to live, and to educate children.
Americans knew envies or mere aspirations would not give them what they wanted. They understood that they had to work hard, save a lot, and invest wisely. These they did and Americans had steadily improved their economic lots. Americans ran and ran, and have had no time to look back and think about what they have been doing.
In recent years, especially in the first decade of the 21st century, Americans began finally to look back and assess what they had been doing. They realize now that,
(i) Indeed Americans have come a long way in terms of economic growth,
(ii) Americans have made once a wilderness country be a thriving dynamic place, and
(iii) They are proud that once a wild country is now offering overseas aids
But Americans also realize that,
(iv) They have neglected the importance of the environment too long,
(v) They have put too much burdens on the natural environment through pollution and damages, and
(vi) They have lost important things such as family values, morality, neighborhood fellowships, and compassion for the poor and weak.
From these assessments, one thing becomes clear. Even with so much economic progress, Americans are not that happier and they feel something important is missing. On close inspection, they realize that,
(i) When the natural environment is polluted and destroyed too much, and
(ii) When there are too many underprivileged neighbors, they cannot be truly happy. So
(iii) They must make the economy, the society, and the environment truly sustainable.
What should Americans do then to become truly happy? They see that they should do at least the followings.
(i) They have to pay more attention to the natural environment. For this Americans should return to their roots and rejuvenate the ideal of becoming one with nature. They must cut down resource uses, they must use resources more efficiently, they must find alternatives to fossil fuels, and they must stop polluting the nature. Americans realize these can be done only when they change every aspect of their lives from brown to green.
(ii) They realize that they need further economic development. There are still big gaps between America and the developing countries. In order to stay ahead, Americans must work hard, save more, invest wisely, undertake R&D, improve education, and reform financial and administrative systems, streamline government.
(iii) They realize that they should make developments much more equitable. The benefits of development must be shared fairly among all citizens. They understand that they must do more to help the poor, weak, old, and handicapped. Most of all they realize that they must amend their selfish behaviors. And,
(iv) They realize that they must do more for the entire human society of the world. This is an extension of the third point. Americans come to realize that they must respect all the diverse cultures of the world. As we are important, so are they. As our natural environment is important, so are theirs. Americans must join hands with others to make the world a sustainable place for all living creatures. Through donations, volunteer works, financial assistance, and knowledge and expertise sharing, Americans can contribute a lot in these areas.
These four points are intimately related and hence they must be addressed together. How can we achieve them? Americas answer is to pursue the green growth initiatives. The goal is to achieve economic development, social development, and environmental development all at the same time.
America hopes to extend the technology in ushering in the green civilization. A prosperous economy, a harmonious society, and a cleaner environment are what Americans are striving for. By pursuing the green growth initiatives, America hopes to lead the process of converting the present day material civilization into a green civilization of the future.
The once forgotten green, organic, and recyclable traditional culture of America is about to resurrect.  The people from the land of the free after a hiatus for about 200 years, wants to rejuvenate their centuries old ideals of harmonious co-existence between man and nature.

Formula for Estimating Energy Consumption


 

Formula for Estimating Energy Consumption

You can use this formula to estimate an appliance's energy use:
(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption
(1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts)
Multiply this by the number of days you use the appliance during the year for the annual consumption. You can then calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by your local utility's rate per kWh consumed.
Note: To estimate the number of hours that a refrigerator actually operates at its maximum wattage, divide the total time the refrigerator is plugged in by three. Refrigerators, although turned "on" all the time, actually cycle on and off as needed to maintain interior temperatures.

Examples:

Window fan:
(200 Watts × 4 hours/day × 120 days/year)  ÷  1000
= 96 kWh × 8.5 cents/kWh
= $8.16/year (plus demand, transmission, other tariffs and taxes)
Personal Computer and Monitor:
(120 + 150 Watts × 4 hours/day × 365 days/year)  ÷  1000
= 394 kWh × 8.5 cents/kWh
= $33.51/year

Wattage

You can usually find the wattage of most appliances stamped on the bottom or back of the appliance, or on its nameplate. The wattage listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many appliances have a range of settings (for example, the volume on a radio), the actual amount of power consumed depends on the setting used at any one time.
If the wattage is not listed on the appliance, you can still estimate it by finding the current draw (in amperes) and multiplying that by the voltage used by the appliance. Most appliances in the United States use 120 volts. Larger appliances, such as clothes dryers and electric cooktops, use 240 volts. The amperes might be stamped on the unit in place of the wattage. If not, find a clamp-on ammeter—an electrician's tool that clamps around one of the two wires on the appliance—to measure the current flowing through it. You can obtain this type of ammeter in stores that sell electrical and electronic equipment. Take a reading while the device is running; this is the actual amount of current being used at that instant.
When measuring the current drawn by a motor, note that the meter will show about three times more current in the first second that the motor starts than when it is running smoothly.
Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched "off." These "phantom loads" occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. Most phantom loads will increase the appliance's energy consumption a few watt-hours. These loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

Typical Wattages of Various Appliances

Here are some examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances:
  • Aquarium = 50–1210 Watts
  • Clock radio = 10
  • Coffee maker = 900–1200
  • Clothes washer = 350–500
  • Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
  • Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
  • Dehumidifier = 785
  • Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100
  • Fans
    • Ceiling = 65–175
    • Window = 55–250
    • Furnace = 750
    • Whole house = 240–750
  • Hair dryer = 1200–1875
  • Heater (portable) = 750–1500
  • Clothes iron = 1000–1800
  • Microwave oven = 750–1100
  • Personal computer
    • CPU - awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
    • Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less
    • Laptop = 50
  • Radio (stereo) = 70–400
  • Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
  • Televisions (color)
    • 19" = 65–110
    • 27" = 113
    • 36" = 133
    • 53"-61" Projection = 170
    • Flat screen = 120
  • Toaster = 800–1400
  • Toaster oven = 1225
  • VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
  • Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
  • Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
  • Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
  • Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380
Compiled by: Draiman