The field of ESTA-1 variety hemp, showing the relatively weed free ground below the plants.
Ontario's Renfrew County - the farm of John and Rae Ann Briscoe - Harvest 2006

The article included below - Energy Farming In America, by Lynn Osburn, from 1989 - really puts in perspective the evil of America's current energy portfolio and our global climate crisis, as it reports that on June 12, 1989, the first President Bush "recommended auto makers be required to make methanol-powered cars for use in nine urban areas plagued by air pollution - Bush called methanol "home-grown energy for America"."

Reporting on this, in 1989, the author of Energy Farming In America forecast "Hemp is the only biomass resource capable of making America energy independent. Remember that in 10 years, by the year 2000, America will have exhausted 80% of her petroleum reserves. Will we then go to war with the Arabs for the privilege of driving our cars; will we stripmine our land for coal and poison the air we breathe to drive our autos an additional 100 years; will we raze our forests for our energy needs?"

Yes, yes and yes.

George Bush Sr. failed to act on his 1989 promise to move America off foreign oil, and his son took us to war against the Arabs "for the privilege of driving our cars" shortly after 2000 - under President Obama, we have a Middle East in melt-down, are expanding strip-mining of coal and poisoning of the air we breathe, are clearing our forests for biomass.... and we have punched a hole in the bottom of the ocean, spilled millions of gallons of oil, and discovered FRACKING to make the world even worse... as oil prices are at historic highs and NEVER COMING DOWN AGAIN... all in corrupt addiction to fossil fuels in global self-destruction.

DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012

President Obama called for more clean energy in his 2011 State of the Union Speech and continued his support in his new budget proposal.
Credit: White House Photo by Pete Souza

President Obama unveiled on February 14 a $29.5 billion budget request for DOE covering fiscal year (FY) 2012, including $3.2 billion for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget request for EERE represents a 44% increase over the current FY 2010 appropriation of about $2.2 billion. The proposed budget aims to strengthen renewable energy sources, boost clean energy research, and cut expenses as the United States pursues the president's vision of generating 80% of its electricity from clean sources by 2035. Overall, the DOE budget would grow 12% over 2010 levels while cutting a number of programs and administrative costs. (FY 2010 numbers are used here for comparisons because Congress never passed an FY 2011 budget, and the federal government is running on a stopgap budget resolution reflecting 2010 levels).

Environmental Justice leader/victim speaking to panel at First White House Forum on Environmental Justice

As I've reported on realNEO: "In what I consider the most important positive environmental development in America in the 21st Century, on December 15, 2010, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley convened the First White House Environmental Justice Forum, where leadership of the recently-reconvened Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG) met with over 100 environmental justice leaders (typically long-suffering EJ victims), in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, at the White House complex, to develop new federal interagency strategies and interactions with citizens to right current EJ wrongs in America, in anticipation of worse to come as results of climate change."

The next step in furthering the EPA's Plan EJ 2014 is a Quarterly Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call, which will take place on February 17, 2011 at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time). The purpose of these calls is to provide information to participants about the Agency's EJ activities and maintain an open dialogue with EJ advocates. As EPA continues to advance Plan EJ 2014, the Agency hopes that these calls will better inform the public about EPA's EJ work and enhance opportunities to take advantage of federal activities. See call-in information below.

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Whitehouse.gov screenshot of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson speaking at First White House Environmental Justice Forum

Plan EJ 2014

Plan EJ 2014 is an overarching strategy intended to advance EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priority to “expand the conversation on environmentalism and work for environmental justice.” Plan EJ 2014, named in recognition of the 20th anniversary of President Clinton’s issuance of Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations PDF (6 pp, 122K, about PDF), is a roadmap to help us integrate environmental justice into all of our programs.

The goals of the plan are to:

• Protect health in communities over-burdened by pollution
• Empower communities to take action to improve their health and environment
• Establish partnerships with local, state, tribal and federal organizations to achieve healthy and sustainable communities.

Over the next four years, we will implement the plan and work to strengthen our efforts to carry out the Administrator’s priority through continuous and meaningful engagement with communities and all stakeholders.

REGISTER FOR CLEAN AIR ACT 101 WEBINAR TRAINING

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Life-cycle study: Accounting for total harm from coal would add “close to 17.8¢/kWh of electricity generated”

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 07:30 AM PST

In a groundbreaking article to be released this month in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Dr. Paul Epstein, associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, details the economic, health and environmental costs associated with each stage in the life cycle of coal – extraction, transportation, processing, and combustion.  These costs, between a third to over half a trillion dollars annually, are directly passed on to the public.

In terms of human health, the report estimates $74.6 billion a year in public health burdens in Appalachian communities, with a majority of the impact resulting from increased healthcare costs, injury and death. Emissions of air pollutants account for $187.5 billion, mercury impacts as high as $29.3 billion, and climate contributions from combustion between $61.7 and $205.8 billion. Heavy metal toxins and carcinogens released during processing pollute water and food sources and are linked to long-term health problems. Mining, transportation, and combustion of coal contribute to poor air quality and respiratory disease, while the risky nature of mining coal results in death and injury for workers.

That’s from a news release for the important new study, “Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal.”  Dr. Epstein is the lead author, and there are 10 coauthors, public health and environment experts.

Charles Dharapak, Associated Press

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I'll be out of town, but strongly recommend Charlie Mosbrook - and know there are many people looking for ways to share their love for the Barking Spider - so share some love...

Come join me at the Spider for the early show. This whole month at the Spider is dedicated to the memory and celebration of Martin Juredine's life, legacy, and contribution to this areas music scene. I hope everyone can make it out for this one. Martin was an important role model and mentor to me. His daughter Jenna now runs the place. Please show your support for her and visit often.

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Cannabidiol - 2-[(1R,6R)-6-isopropenyl-3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol

I was talking to my drug-dealing father, the other day, about the future of a class of drug he has never been allowed to deal - Marijuana, and its derivatives - cannabinoids patented by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, in 2003.

As a physician, in the psychiatry field, my father has prescribed 1,000,000s of doses - $1,000,000s worth - of scores of pharmaceutical toxins - many which certainly proved ineffective, over the years, and may be addictive and fatal - to humans who were not born to take such drugs... in a society now being torn apart by the consequences. But, he has never had the opportunity to prescribe one dose of natural, safe, non-addictive, organic, God-given, freely-available marijuana or a derivative.

While marijuana has consistently been found to be safe and effective for 100s of medical concerns, for over a century, and is increasingly being made legal at the local level, by enlightened communities, the use and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs has become one of our Drug Czar's greatest and most fatal crises across America... and getting worse daily.

This self-inflicted American healthcare crisis was driven home by the February 13, 2011, New York Times, which reported that well over 300,000 troops have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan with P.T.S.D., depression, traumatic brain injury or some combination of those.... and, when doctors diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, they prescribe powerful cocktails of psychiatric drugs and narcotics, which are proving largely ineffective and often fatal - whereas safe marijuana is considered a valuable treatment for P.T.S.D..

United States Patent	6,630,507
Hampson ,   et al.	October 7, 2003

Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants - See at USPTO Here

Abstract

Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention. A particular disclosed class of cannabinoids useful as neuroprotective antioxidants is formula (I) wherein the R group is independently selected from the group consisting of H, CH.sub.3, and COCH.sub.3. ##STR1##

All Americans should have a great interest in the actions of our Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske, as he impacts all our lives and $ billions of tax dollars. Always AT WAR WITH AMERICANS and in denial of healthcare (and our national debt) - disrespectful of the medical profession - killer of innocent Mexicans - his job has become more complex and urgent, in the last few years, as his failed war on drugs has continued taking turns for the worst... turning Mexican pot fields into killing-fields and suburban America into a pharmaceutically-poisoned waster-land - as his entire credibility in battling God-given marijuana is undermined by effective medical legalization efforts America-wide, and by his own Federal government... as far more significant crises have surfaced with pharmaceutical drugs that fail to provide healthcare, but do kill - which marijuana does not.

As America is bankrupt, and going down the toilet - along with all Gil Kerlikowske's pills and poison piss, poisoning our natural resources, wildlife and all humanity - the following thorough interview by The Daily Caller of our Drug Czar is required reading:

TheDC Interview: Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske on Mexico, pill mills, and the medical marijuana stalemate

 

Mike Riggs is a staff writer at The Daily Caller. He has written and reported for Reason magazine and reason.com, GQ, the Awl, Decibel, Culture 11, the Philadelphia Bulletin, and the Washington City Paper, where he served as an arts and entertainment editor.

Does Egypt hold any lessons for climate hawks?

February 12, 2011

And above all, we saw a new generation emerge — a generation that uses their own creativity and talent and technology to call for a government that represented their hopes and not their fears, a government that is responsive to their boundless aspirations.

… it was the moral force of non-violence….

That’s Obama speaking Friday.  I’ve been asked by a couple of ClimateProgress regulars if there are any lessons for climate hawks in the incredible Egyptian revolution.

For instance, the 25-year-old Ian of “What should Ian do with his life?” fame asks

I’m just wondering if you think it would be worth discussing Egypt in the thread this weekend. I could be very wrong but it seems like it might give people hope to change things here in the states. Maybe its possible to focus some of that energy into grassroots efforts on climate change. Huge, sustained, passionate rallies seem like they work now. Is that possible in regards to action on climate change?

Cannabis bakers at Taste My Yummees booth at KushCom2 - yummy brownies

February 11, 2010 - The Colorado Independent reported "Colorado edible marijuana bill not a brownie killer - Bill expected back in March, but probably won't ban most ingestibles".

This is good news for mom and pop Colorado businesses that have invested to develop the cannabis economy in Colorado. Pro-medical marijuana organizations like the Cannabis Therapy Institute had warned “House Bill 11-1250 will outlaw all medicinal cannabis edible products in the state, overturning the licensing scheme for Infused Products Manufacturers that was created by the state legislature last year.” 

This is even more important news for MMJ patients, who seek a variety of products containing MMJ in treatment of their medical conditions.

"Prior to the bill being pulled for revision, Shan Moore, the father of a teenager who uses medical marijuana to control seizures, told The Colorado Independent that his son relies on ingestible medical marijuana to control his condition. Due to other health issue and also due to the fact that his son does not want to get high, smoking is out of the question for him."

Daily Caller: “Is The DEA Legalizing THC?”

February 10th, 2011 By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Share this Article

Reporter Mike Riggs at The Daily Caller has an important story online today revealing how U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials are making plans to reschedule natural THC under federal law.

Under the plan, THC derived from the marijuana plant would be classified as a Schedule III controlled substance, while the plant itself would remain classified as a Schedule I illegal drug. Sound fishy? It is.

BiblioNews: Common purpose for journalists and librarians

THE CHALLENGE

For three centuries, in American towns large and small, two institutions have uniquely marked a commitment to participatory democracy, learning and open inquiry — our libraries and our free press. Today, as their tools change, their common missions of civic engagement and information transparency converge. Economic and technology changes suggest an opportunity for collaboration among these two historic community information centers — one largely public, one largely private. How?

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Watch Al Jazeera's live reporting on the situation in Egypt below - video not optimized for mobile devices (audio may be in slo-mo):

15 Day Extended Weather Forecast for Cleveland, Ohio - February 10-24, 2011

Following the warmest year in the recorded history of mankind on our planet, Earthlings should certainly expect more of the same... meaning after suffering through brutal Winter storms caused by intense climate change in the Arctic, we shall experience unseasonably warm weather for much of the month of February.

What may July have in store... when we must grow the crops that must feed and fuel the world?!?!

Some food for thought, from Climate Progress, for those balmy Cleveland February evenings to come...

UN food agency warns severe drought threatens wheat crop in China, world’s largest producer it is - FAO also warns floods and heavy rains in Southern Afria "threaten food security"

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 09:45 AM PST

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization issued an alert Tuesday that a severe drought was threatening the wheat crop in China, the world’s largest wheat producer, and was even resulting in shortages of drinking water for people and livestock.

The state-run news media in China warned Monday that the country’s major agricultural regions were facing their worst drought in 60 years and said Tuesday that Shandong Province, a cornerstone of Chinese grain production, was bracing for its worst drought in 200 years unless substantial precipitation came by the end of this month.

World wheat prices are already surging and have been widely cited as one reason for protests in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world.

Environmental Justice Community Representative speaking at First White House Environmental Justice Forum

Please find below a fascinating request from the U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION (OAR) for public comment on a CONCEPT PAPER FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER. The OAR is taking the lead in developing a learning center or institute for environmental justice community members to increase community awareness and understanding of environmental risks stemming from pollution and related environmental justice concerns. This effort will build communities’ capacity to participate in the protection of their air, water, and land resources. This represents Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has made one of EPA’s key priorities under her leadership.

Regarding the challenge being addressed... from Administrator Jackson, in releasing this concept paper for public input:

Many minority, low-income, and indigenous people have been historically underrepresented in environmental decision making, while at times experiencing higher levels of environmental pollution and other social and economic burdens that result in poorer health outcomes. Many members of these communities have not been able to participate effectively in environmental decision making in part because they lack the background and information they need for meaningful participation. As a result, EPA does not always benefit from important community input.

It is my strong belief Administrator Jackson's statement perfectly describes Northeast Ohio - these are the words that should have been said by Cleveland's Mayor Jackson, as citizen and community leader... for decades! These are the words citizens of Northeast Ohio must hear from our leaders for the future.

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Opening Statement Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power

As prepared for delivery – Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to testify about Chairman Upton’s draft bill to eliminate portions of the Clean Air Act, the landmark law that all American children and adults rely on to protect them from harmful air pollution.

The bill appears to be part of a broader effort in this Congress to delay, weaken, or eliminate Clean Air Act protections of the American public. I respectfully ask the members of this Committee to keep in mind that EPA’s implementation of the Clean Air Act saves millions of American children and adults from the debilitating and expensive illnesses that occur when smokestacks and tailpipes release unrestricted amounts of harmful pollution into the air we breathe.

Last year alone, EPA’s implementation of the Clean Air Act saved more than 160,000 American lives; avoided more than 100,000 hospital visits; prevented millions of cases of respiratory illness, including bronchitis and asthma; enhanced American productivity by preventing millions of lost workdays; and kept American kids healthy and in school.

EPA’s implementation of the Act also has contributed to dynamic growth in the U.S. environmental technologies industry and its workforce.  In 2008, that industry generated nearly 300 billion dollars in revenues and 44 billion dollars in exports.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is hosting a FREE Brief Advice and Referral Clinic

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As we learn that Cleveland City Council, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries and the Cleveland Police Department have dedicated their extensive resources to the persecution of Father Henry and shutting down St. Hermans home for the most disadvantaged Americans on Earth... we should assess their past performance addressing crime in the most impoverished, lead poisoned, broken-down, polluted city in America... besides ignoring nearly a dozen rapes and murderers by a friend of Mayor Jackosn's family, for years... today the Plain Dealer reports "Jurors so upset about case brought against 19-year-old that they will give the defendant their jury pay".

Highlights:

Jurors are so convinced that a Cleveland teen should not have been charged with assaulting another teen that they've gone beyond acquitting him. A few are writing angry letters to police and intend to donate their jury pay to him.

Jurors said the case against McCloud on charges of kidnapping and felonious assault quickly evaporated in the courtroom of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab.

Most of the jury could not be reached for comment, but three members complained of a "sheer lack of evidence."

"He seemed like a decent kid who was falsely accused," Nagin said.

Boe said she will mail letters today to Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath and Fourth District Commander Deon McCaulley about the lack of a thorough investigation. Other jurors said they also will write to the police.

Char Richtmyer, a Grand Lake St. Marys resident for 16 years, pulls a dead fish off the beach to toss it back in the water.
For the second year in a row, the lake has been plagued by a new and potentially toxic form of algae that is killing fish,
creating foul odors and driving away tourists at the height of the summer season. Staff photo by Jim Witmer

Ohio was in the news for incompetent environmental planning, last week, in The Daily Impact - Chronicling the Crash of the Industrial Age - "Ohio Lake “Dying”: Governor Applies Lipstick" - what does this say about our future? Thank God for outside media coverage of Ohio... the truth is sometimes told...

The government of the great state of Ohio demonstrated last week, with laser-like precision, exactly why we do not have a chance of avoiding the multiple catastrophes bearing down on our supplies of food, energy and water. In unveiling what was universally described as a “plan” to deal with one of the state’s biggest pollution problems, the governor and his fellow politicians also demonstrated the new first principle of government: it is far, far better to appear to be doing something than to actually do something.

A press release I received today from the Environmental Protection Agency reports: "Former city of Detroit Health Department lead inspector Donald Patterson was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release on wire fraud charges stemming from an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation. In July 2010, Patterson pleaded guilty and admitted he accepted cash to provide a clean bill of health to homes in which he had either done no inspection or provided fraudulent lead removal training". Which makes me wonder how much time Cleveland "Environmental Leaders", CDC directors, building inspectors, the Mayor, and Councilpeople should spend in jail for the lead poisoning of 1,000s of children in Cleveland, with contempt.

Perhaps Ohio does still need the death penalty?!?!

WASHINGTON — Former city of Detroit Health Department lead inspector Donald Patterson was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release on wire fraud charges stemming from an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation. In July 2010, Patterson pleaded guilty and admitted he accepted cash to provide a clean bill of health to homes in which he had either done no inspection or provided fraudulent lead removal training. Lead is a serious public health issue causing a range of health effects from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.

BBQ Chef Extraordinaire Greg Williams (standing), with his father LeMaud "Hot Sauce" Williams and a satisfied customer

I'm excited to see the Plain Dealer picked up the story of development of an MMJ BBQ Sauce by Greg Williams, of Cleveland's Hot Sauce Williams, and OrganaLabs, of Colorado. As was posted to Cleveland.com, today - Pot Sauce Williams, aiming to be the Heinz of medical marijuana BBQ sauces - great coverage by Evelyn Theiss and Diane Suchetka, who interviewed me for their story - some highlights: "We hope to make it the Heinz of medical marijuana sauces," said Norm Roulet, a Cleveland business consultant who got the idea off the ground - Heidi Morgan, co-owner with her husband, Ralph, of OrganaLabs in Denver, confirmed that the company developed and tested a recipe for Pot Sauce Williams - "There is a huge market for this," she said. "People are sick and tired of brownies - Especially, she said, people who have illnesses like MS, HIV, or other autoimmune disorders -- "They'll say, 'I don't want 100 milligrams of sugar when I eat this'"- So what's Pot Sauce Williams like? - Kohn, who has a referral for medical marijuana, loves it - "It packed just about the right size wallop you wanted," he said. "It made you merry. It gave you positive body sensations, good tingles, it was as good or better as any edible product I've tried - and I've tried a lot. It's da bomb" - "Their model is to have a number of sauces out, and they are looking at even doing some of their bakery products," Roulet said. "They have a sweet potato pie and a pecan pie - "One of the things they are looking at is creating some products to appeal to the urban marketplace" - "They are being innovative."