Trash Talk Your Way to a Better World
April 30, 2007
North Americans account for less than 10% of the world’s population, yet we produce 50% of the world’s garbage and consume more than 33% of it’s resources. If everyone consumed like the average North American, we would require three Earths!
Authors Dave and Lillian Brummet offer an upbeat, proactive look at waste and resource management with their inspiring new book Trash Talk. They explain that every one of us can do something to help our world - starting right where we are, right now. Trash Talk is not a quick fix solution - it is about changing consumer’s mind-sets by providing ideas that inspire participation from the ground level. Not everyone can afford to donate cash or time to a cause but by implementing the concept of Trash Talk, the average person can make small alterations in their lives that affect positive changes for the Earth.
Canadian writers Dave and Lillian Brummet reside in the southwest region of British Columbia. Their work has appeared in a variety of Canadian publications. In addition, the Brummets also wear many other hats - as gardeners, seed savers, cooks, photographers, business owners and outdoor enthusiasts. Ultimately, it is a love of nature and healthy living that is the major driving force and inspiration for their many projects.
The Valuable Individual
April 30, 2007
How can we, as individuals, participate in waste management? Because some of us are so overwhelmed with Earth’s problems, we feel that our contributions have no real consequence in the end. For others, social barriers can be an issue. A lady we once knew confessed that she did not want to be seen buying used items or being concerned with power use. She was worried people would see her as cheap ? a scrooge ? when the family was so affluent. Yet, she was very careful to be seen with recycling bins out on the curb on pick-up day, because that was thought to be the thing to do socially. Now is a good time to put an end to these negative thoughts and feelings of false pride. Waste reduction is not about ego - it is about the health of the planet and of our nation.
Communities would be wise to look at Nova Scotia’s waste reduction success and try to emulate it in their area. With the highest waste reduction rates in Canada, Nova Scotia has reduced landfill contributions by 46% - saving about $31 million per year - simply by making the most of the organic and recyclable materials. Curbside recycling service (Blue Box) is available to 99% of its residents and 76% now enjoy curbside organic service (a.k.a. Green Box).
Diamond Flashes
April 29, 2007
Beyond magnificence and splendor, the world of diamonds evolves on stirred grounds. When the stake is so important, interests collide. But technology develops following its onward course. Here are some interesting off-stage events in the diamond industry and innovations in technology.
De Beers sued by head of the Diamond Bourse
Derek Parsons, the president of the Diamond Bourse of the Southeast United States has filed a lawsuit against De Beers, on the charge of the company’s disregard of American competition law. Their Supplier of Choice policy puts the American dealers at a disadvantage. The suit was not launched on behalf of the Miami bourse but on behalf of diamond dealers in America, condemning the criteria on which De Beers makes the sales ? they would sell only to their sightholders, discouraging the non-sightholders and keeping prices artificially high at a non-competitive level.
Diamond mining expands
De Beers holds control of only 50% of the roughs market
Diamond rising prices have stimulated the exploration and mining in more countries such as Canada, Russia, Angola, India, Brazil. Nevertheless, about 40% of diamonds still come from Botswana and South Africa. De Beers’ control on the rough diamond market was declared to have decreased from 70% to about 50%.
Energy and America
April 28, 2007
America is entering into a time of Energy crisis. It could easily be the greatest crisis that human-kind is to face. America can not continue to lead the world econimcally and drain it dry at the same time. The National Collegiate Clean Energy Initiative is working to unite American students and citizens alike, to demand CLEAN ENERGY POLICY.
The Joy of Recycling
April 27, 2007
I have always been an advocate of recycling. Even though I am not always convinced of its financial viability, I am thoroughly convinced of its value as a means of increasing public awareness of the cost of our consumerism. In the 20+ years I have been in the organizing profession, I have never heard anyone complain that their problem in getting organized was that they didn’t have enough "stuff."
It doesn’t seem like getting rid of things should be such difficult issue, but in my own experience and in the lives of clients, it often is. I have spent countless hours listening to clients justify why they need to keep clothes they haven’t worn in ten years, utensils they aren’t sure how to use, appliances that need repair, artwork they don’t even like — and, of course, old magazines they’re sure to read some day!
If you have enough room and if you’re willing to pay the price in space and energy, it is possible to keep everything. But if you can’t find what you need today because you’re tripping over what you might need tomorrow, the price may be more than you should be willing to pay. Recycling is often a great solution.
How Body Piercing Works — The Ins and Outs of this Cutting Edge Process
April 26, 2007
Body piercing (defined as any piercing beyond the standard earlobe piercing) has become such a popular form of body modification that between five and ten percent of the population of the United States has indulged in at least one form of it at some time in their lives. In most cases, once a person gets a body piercing, they follow the first one with more. There are lots of considerations; however, for making sure that your body piercing is done safely so that you don’t end up with either an infection or a poorly done piercing that could leave an unsightly scar.
It ain’t ear piercing, honey?
The procedure for a good body piercing isn’t the same is for getting your earlobes pierced. Most earlobe piercings that you see done in a mall or jewelry store involve using a piercing gun that quickly shoots the actual earring post through the earlobe. This may be fine for an area of the body that has soft tissue and is easily pierced, but it isn’t a good idea for other parts of the body for a few reasons.
Marine News - Summer 2004 - Our Ocean Environment
April 25, 2007
Our oceans are home to many marine mammals, fish, turtles, corals and others. The delicate balance between man and the ocean is constantly being challenged by the demands of our society. Most of our planet is covered by water, a necessary ingredient of human life. The state of our oceans should be uppermost in our minds in order for quality of life for all species to remain as it is.
Manatees - an endangered species The common name for Florida’s gentle giants is the West Indian manatee. They are found throughout rivers, springs and shallow coastal waters of Florida and adjacent states. Weighing up to 3500 pounds and having a bulbous face and rotund shape, scientists believe they are the ‘mermaids’ identified by sailors in historical lore. Manatees consume 5-10 percent of their body weight daily and spend 6-8 hours a day feeding. They are plant-eaters and are commonly found grazing along the same areas as recreational boaters. This fact accounts for numerous killings and maiming of manatees in Florida each year. Propeller scars are so common on manatees that there is a computerized catalog of photographs to enable identification of individuals by their scars.
Positive Effects of Carbon Dioxide for Plant Growth
April 25, 2007
Many articles have been written about the negative effects of carbon dioxide. Sick Building Syndrome, loss of concentration due to high levels of carbon dioxide, asphyxiation in breweries or wine cellars, all these things spring to mind when we hear the magic phrase carbon dioxide. Yet, perhaps today when Venus passes across the face of the Sun, we should remember that our original atmosphere consisted of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Free oxygen is something that is not really chemically possible. Yet we have it as a result of plant life busily photosynthesising and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen during daylight hours. This is the original use of solar energy!
Plants require carbon dioxide to grow and why not help them by increasing the level of carbon dioxide? Normally, this is something that is undesirable, since carbon dioxide is the original greenhouse gas, as our neighbouring planet Venus can testify. But in a controlled, genuine greenhouse environment, there is no real reason why the level of carbon dioxide should not be enhanced in some way.
America and its Collision Course
April 24, 2007
Energy ESP #7 - America and its Collision CourseCrude oil explodes through $46.50 as the problems are growing -It’s bigger than Iraq, bigger than Bin Laden and even bigger thanthe next election. America has entered into an exhaustive racefor survival - And nobody is talking about it.Talking about what you ask?"Taking down Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure is like spearingfish in a barrel… a coordinated assault on five or more key[pipelines]junctions in the system could put the Saudis out ofthe oil business for two years…" Robert Baer, Former CIAofficer, USA Today, May 10 2004.In a country portrayed to be the wealthiest oil nation in theworld, Saudi Arabia also has the greatest divergence betweenthe wealthy and poor. With the average individual income at$7,500 per year the poor is kept at bay by charity. Somethingwe all know the Saudis are good at. Men by the hundreds line upto meet the prince and ask (is it asking or begging) forfinancial help for whatever ails them. Is this charity? Or isit a clever way to keep the not-so-fortunate from rising up?Over generations of this practice, the locals have becomeaccustom. At what point do they rebel against these extremeunjust ways of life that they have been delt.? At what point doAMERICANS realize that this is the kind of society we dependway too much on and far too often?!?!CNBC reported last week that OPEC (or could we just say the Houseof Saud) said that ‘the current average price of oil is notsufficient (high) enough to meet the needs of the OPECcountries.’ Gee… wonder why the 10 year oil futures have beenpropelling themselves into space over the past few years? ? Whatdoes this all mean?… America is dependent on an extremelyunstable country(s). I fear that this will soon come to a headand Americans will be up the creek with only half a paddle.Over the past 30 years., approx. 75% of U.S. trade deficit wasmoney gone to oil imports - That must change What Americans don’trealize is the great divergence in the prices of the things weconsume. . . and it’s about to catch up. . . One quart of oil foryou car costs between $2-$5. One gallon as gas about $2. But ifyou’re in a restaurant and order a Coke or a glass of milk, it isnearly SIX times that. Now you tell me something, do you need a”Coke and a smile” to get to work in the morning? FACT - SaudiOIL FIELDS are shrinking as oil prices are flying. During the70’s, 15 oil fields pumped one million barrels per day - Todayonly two of those are at a steady (or is it) one million.OPEC’s SECRET SHORTAGE THAT THEY WONT TELL YOU - Today’s oilreserves estimates DO NOT include the two billion barrels of oilthat was burned in the 91′ Gulf War. Yet, OPEC has added 287billion barrels to their reserves without claiming any new oildiscovery. - Anyone smell anything fishy???All this is reason enough that Americans need to work together,in a NON-PARTISAN effort and bring CLEAN - RENEWABLE ENERGY TOAMERICAN SOIL ASAP!! America needs to follow in the foot step ofDenmark - where they actually produce more electricity than theyconsume… and sell the rest.ANYONE you know, if they are in college or not - PLEASEforward them this newsletter. Spread the word! It will takeeveryone you know!
Kevin Gluckstal NCCEI Exec. Dir.
New Energy Bill: Reducing Our Dependence on Foreign Oil
April 23, 2007
The U. S. economy is feeling the brunt of skyrocketing oil prices as the nation’s dependence on foreign oil continues to grow. We need a responsible energy plan to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. President Bush and Senator Kerry appear to be skirting the real issues involved.
Growing transportation requirements combined with declining domestic oil production have led to burgeoning oil imports. Rising oil prices are having an adverse impact on the U.S. economy as evident from recent economic data and stock market performance. We need a responsible energy plan which will balance our transportation requirements with the necessity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Rising Oil Prices.Oil prices have been on a roll this year. As of August 10, crude oil prices have climbed over 45% since the start of 2004. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate recently recorded its all time high of $45.04 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. And this has happened despite the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries increasing its oil output.Earlier in the year, the run up in oil prices was attributed to surging demand for petroleum products due to a strong global economy. Then it was the unrest in Venezuela and Nigeria.Concerns on security of oil supplies have heightened more recently. Added to the pipeline disruptions in Iraq are kidnappings of foreign workers in the Middle East.Yukos, the Russian oil company’s tax evasion dispute has taken center stage currently. With a production rate of 1.7 million barrels a day (mmbd), Yukos is Russia’s largest oil producer. While the underlying factors behind the dramatic increase in the price of oil this year are a combination of all the above, the impact is hardly comforting.Weakening Economy.Higher oil prices that work like an added tax have the effect of holding down hiring, consumer spending, and corporate profits.The July jobs report that was released by the Labor Department on August 6 was a disappointment. The U.S. economy added a mere 32,000 to the non-farm payrolls, the lowest monthly addition this year. The rate of employment growth is slowing as business confidence appears to be undermined by rising oil prices. High oil prices are also taking the bite out of consumer spending.By some economists’ estimates, every $10 rise in the price of oil knocks 0.5% off of GDP growth and adds about the same amount to inflation. The equity markets have been fixated with the trend in oil prices and have relentlessly spiraled lower since late June. On August 6, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 9,815.33, its lowest level since Nov. 28 after losing more than 300 points over the last two sessions. The technology heavy Nasdaq Composite Index is down over 11% since the start of the year.The Root Cause: Transportation Relies on Foreign Oil.A combination of declining domestic oil production and increasing oil consumption has left the U.S. increasingly dependent on foreign oil.The U. S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration states that domestic oil production in 2002 was 5.8 mmbd, about 36% lower than the 9.0 mmbd produced in 1985. The total use of petroleum products on the other hand has grown from 15.2 mmbd in 1985 to 19.3 mmbd in 2002.The lion’s share of oil consumption stems from transportation needs. In 2002, the transportation sector accounted for about 68% of total petroleum use with gasoline accounting for two-thirds of the petroleum consumed in the transportation sector.U.S. net oil imports have grown from 4.3 mmbd in 1985 to 10.4 mmbd in 2002. Net oil imports as a percent of U. S. petroleum product use has risen from 28% in 1985 to 54% in 2002.Based on Sandia National Laboratories and U. S. DOE/EIA forecast, an additional 7.5 mmbd of oil and petroleum products will have to be imported by 2020 to bridge the gap between growing consumption and falling domestic oil production. In 2020, U.S. oil production will supply less than 30% of U.S. oil needs.The Energy Bill: Long-Term Plan for Energy Security.The picture the current events paint as a preview of the future is cause for concern.On August 6, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry outlined a $30-billion, 10-year plan to veer the U. S. towards energy independence. The plan includes tax breaks and incentives for carmakers and buyers, coal producers and alternative fuels research. President Bush responded saying Kerry’s proposals mimic much of what Bush had already proposed but is stalled in Congress.It will not be adequate if President Bush and Senator Kerry just reignite the energy debate. To bring clarity to energy security, we need a comprehensive long-term national energy plan that will reduce our reliance on foreign oil while meeting the nation’s growing transportation needs.Both supply and demand sides of the transportation issue will have to be addressed to make a meaningful impact in reducing the dependence on foreign oil. Steps to increase the supply of domestic transportation fuels including alternatives to oil will likely be required. So too will efforts to reduce per capita transportation fuel consumption.Based on what has been outlined to date, neither the Bush proposal nor the Kerry plan appears to fully address the critical transportation issue. The House-Senate conferees have an opportunity to deliver a responsible energy bill to the President’s desk for his signature. If the dependence on foreign oil is not reduced, the course of the U. S. economy and the stock market may well be shaped more by decisions made in Moscow, Riyadh, and Vienna rather than being determined by the decisions made at home.Notes: This report is for information purposes only. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer to buy or sell securities or to give individual investment advice. This report does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs of any specific person who may receive this report. The information contained in this report is obtained from various sources believed to be accurate and is provided without warranties of any kind. AlphaProfit Investments, LLC does not represent that this information, including any third party information, is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. AlphaProfit Investments, LLC is not responsible for any errors or omissions herein. Past performance is neither an indication of nor a guarantee for future results. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of AlphaProfit Investments, LLC. Copyright © 2004 AlphaProfit Investments, LLC. All rights reserved.
After working for the nation’s leading oil and auto companies, Sam Subramanian, PhD, MBA is currently Managing Principal of AlphaProfit Investments?, LLC, an investment research firm based in Houston, TX. Sam edits the AlphaProfit Sector Investors’ Newsletter?. For the 5 year period ending June 30, 2004, AlphaProfit model portfolios increased by up to 252%, a compound annual return rate of 28.6%. To learn more about AlphaProfit and to subscribe to the FREE newsletter, visit http://www.alphaprofit.com
