The bicycle has many attractions as a form of personal
transportation. It alleviates congestion, lowers air
pollution, reduces obesity, increases physical fitness, does
not emit climate-disrupting carbon dioxide, and is priced
within the reach of the billions of people who cannot afford a
car.
An early warning system to alert people living in the lowlands
of the northern Bolivian department of Beni about imminent
flooding of the mighty Mamoré and Ibare rivers is saving
lives, food and goods, and overcoming the uncertainty that led
to enormous losses in the past.
Oilbama and what passes for a green movement talk breezily of “clean energy,” as if the only thing blocking a rapid and thorough transition to an alt-energy economy is oil-industry corruption and political indecision. In the misleading verbiage of such false prophets, you never get any details. Why not? Because the facts are entirely contrary to the promises.
Earth’s population is approaching seven billion at the same time that resource limits and environmental degradation are becoming more apparent every day…Resource scarcities, especially oil, are likely to limit future economic growth; the demographic transition that has accompanied economic growth in the past may not be possible for many nations today.
Wes Jackson, the celebrated plant geneticist, author, farmer (and years ago a fairly good football player), has been experimenting for decades now with the bold idea that perennial grains can be developed to take the place of annual grains, thus revolutionizing agriculture by making it unnecessary for so many millions of acres to be cultivated annually. I raise my forkful of wheatgrass pancake and I salute you, Mr. Jackson.