Supporting Fossil Fuel Companies Makes Not Sense! Here is You Chance to do Something!

A majority of Americans now believe that excess carbon in the air leads to climate change and the weather extremes we have been experiencing are going to get worse. Rather than continuing to support companies who enjoy enormous profits for contributing to climate change shouldn’t we support alternatives and try to reverse the ominous forecast?

Why are fossil fuel companies getting tax breaks, financial assistance, royalty relief, and many loopholes that benefit the fossil fuel industry? Under current law, more than $113 billion in federal subsidies would go to oil, coal and gas industries in the coming decade. Do they need this money? No! In 2011 alone, the Big Five oil companies, alone, made $137 billion in profits!

Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation Thursday to end billions of dollars in oil, coal and gas subsidies.

You can support this new legislation and end polluter welfare by making your voice heard here.

The COTS Walk Needs You

http://www.cotsonline.org/component/content/article/34-who/105-cotswalkregistration.html

Volunteers are needed too!

Extreme Weather Survival In “The New Normal”

Recently we had a week of weather with temperatures 40 degrees above normal!  A few weeks before, 75 tornadoes ripped through Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina and other states, with winds as high as 175 mph, completely wiping towns off the map, killing people and destroying billions of dollars of property. As hundred thousand people mourn and try to begin to put their lives back together, those of us a safe distance away wonder why no one is looking at the big picture and wondering who is going to pay for this?

FEMA – The Bottomless Barrel of Money

Last spring when Lake Champlain flooded over 200 year records, and last fall when Irene washed away villages in Bermont, FEMA the Federal Emergency Management Authority came to the rescue with human power and money to restore thousands of miles of roads and infrastructure. Now, once again, FEMA will be be counted on to rescue Americans who had the misfortune of living in the path of mother nature during a new era, the era of cataclysmic weather!

NASA and NOAA predict the frequency and intensity of freakish weather will not only increase over time but the rate of increase will climb as carbon dioxide and methane levels climb in the atmosphere. This means that we can expect more powerful storms and other extreme events more frequently, going forward, as they say! No worries, though, because FEMA has plenty of money to rebuild after each Katrina, Irene and tornado hit.

Survival of Extreme Weather Events

How can you be prepared for the next unexpected epic extreme event? FEMA suggests:

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries (better yet a hand-crank, solar charged flashlight!)
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

And don’t forget your portable Aero Press Coffee maker! It’s a necessity for quality coffee under any circumstances, whether camping or emergencies.

It is reassuring to know that FEMA will always be there for us, unless at some point in the future, our leaders decide that part of government is too big! But in the meantime, there is plenty you can do to ensure the survival of yourself and your family in coming extreme weather events. Be prepared!

Obamacare in One Minute

President obama spoke to a raging crowd at the University of Vermont on Friday. Among the topics, his health care law that has resulted in improvements for all Americans.  Here is all you need to know about Obamacare in one minute:

Out With Oil Company Giveaways, In With Clean Green Energy!

Today at the University of Vermont President Obama gave a one minute synopsis of his energy policy.  Who would argue with this except oil company executives?

How to Get Rid of Back Pain

Have you noticed that part of getting older seems to be increased aches and pains, especially in your back? I had a few trips to the chiropractor in the past for help with severe back pain. Lucky for me, it hasn’t been the result of serious problems that require surgery or long term drug treatment. But I have learned a lot about back pain over the years. With increasing stress of careers, families, the economy and other changes, while our bodies continue to age, it’s no wonder we have back pain. Most recently, I have suffered with lower back stiffness and agony with no apparent cause.

Let’s back to 20 years ago in another lifetime: I was working two jobs, staying up late, lifting heavy things (improperly), not eating or resting well. And voila! One day I woke up and couldn’t get out of bed. When I final could get out of bed, crooked and in pain, I resolved that I needed to do something to get rid of my back pain. I hobbled to a doctor, who took an X-ray and proclaimed that my lower vertebrae were twisted, possibly due to a disk slipped out into a nerve, possibly due to a strained muscle. He sent me off with a prescription for percoset, which made me turn green with nasuea and I walked around crooked in pain for weeks. I think it was six weeks before my back finally, slowly stretched out and healed.

That was before tylenol, advil and other pain relievers that are more effective and less dangerous than narcotics. I have learned a lot since then. One thing I know now, as my wonderful holistic doctor David Hobbs says, “Use it or lose it.”  Keep stretching, running, playing and moving as much as you can. I have found when I don’t take the time to do those thing, problems start. Yes, advil can help relieve pain, usually temprarily for me, but preventing the pain in the first place is a better option. Here are some ways that I have found to prevent back pain:

1. Run. If you can’t run, walk fast, do a treadmill, stride on the elliptical or swim! In most cases, even when I start a run with a stiff back, I am loose and pain free when finished!

2. Stretch. I am one of the lucky few who have not changed much since high school. Okay I am not as strong or fast as I used to be in my ‘glory days’. But the biggest difference in then and now is my lack of flexibility. As we age our tissue becomes less flexible naturally. Flexibility is the keep to keep strains from happening. Of course once you have back pain, stretcing is even more difficult. But nonetheless, if you take the time to stretch your back, legs, neck and arms you will notice less back pain and fewer problems. Stretch every day if you can.  You can find more tips on wellness in our Wellness category.

3. Give yourself a break. Sitting for long periods or standing, for that matter, especially on hard surfaces, can cramp your back. Imagine, hundreds of pounds of your upper body resting on and compressing your spinal column and bundles of muscles, ligaments and nerves for long periods of time! Give yourself a break to move, stretch and and you will be happier.

4. Practice good posture. One of the leading causes of back problems is bad posture. Over time, bad posture will take its toll on your tendons and ligaments and produce strains that become hard to ignore as your body tries to compensate to avoid pain and discomfort.

5. Eat well. Good nutrition is an important factor in your health. You can find healthy delicious recipes in our Foodies category.

 End Billions of Dollars in Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Ever wonder why the alternative energy companies  can’t get expensive ads telling us how clean coal and clean natural gas can solve our energy problems?  It starts with the oil lobby giving tens of billions of dollars to our politicians and then the politicians giving tens of billions of dollars of our tax money in subsidies at a time when fossil fuel companies are rolling in money! Think there is nothing we can do about it?

Here is Bill McKibben of Middlebury College and 350.0rg telling us we can do something about it. We aim to get every member of Congress on the record, and tell us where they stand on these unbalanced subsidies. Sign the petition and find out more at 350.org.

Water is more valuable than oil!

Think gas prices are high, wait till you see what happens to the price of a gallon of water! Experts have been warning us that clean water demand is quickly exceeding supply. What happens when something we need for survival is no longer available? Read more about why water is about survival here. It’s not going to be pretty, folks. It’s a survival issue!

Want to do something about it? Email us and we will send you a free brochure from World Water Day, which by the way is on March 22nd! Just email us and we will send a free informational brochure in a pdf format.  Don’t just stand there, do something about it!  Submit your water event for March 22nd here!

Maine Coast Photography

Last week we had the  pleasure of hanging out for a couple of days at The Anchorage in Ogunquit, Maine for some R&R. Our priorities for a break were 1) good seafood, 2) an ocean view 3) sunshine and warmer weather and 4) rest. We accomplished the first with crab stuffed sole and a broiled fisherman’s platter at The Lobster Barn in York. The Anchorage had an ocean front room for a reasonable coast (nothing like having your morning coffee or lunch watching the surf! We timed our trip to take advantage of the best two 50 degree days of the week, beach running and hiking in wells and also took advantage of the indoor pool and outdoor jacuzzi for R&R. One of the most relaxing aspects of staying off season is there are not many other humans around. If quiet is what you are looking for , then this is the place! We also enjoyed When Pigs Fly in York for some artisan pizza and phenomenal craft bread! What a great place!

Like the photos you see here? Any photos on our site are available by contacting us by email. You should check out our photography display for prices and also our beautiful photo note cards for sale.

Free Products!

Happy March! In celebration of our early spring (fingers are crossed!) and in a shamelss effort to promote our products and spread good will we are giving away our products every week!

This week we are giving away two outstanding environmental videos. First we are giving away ‘After the Warming’  (episode 1 and 2) and the National Geographic Polar Bear Alert! Both videos are in VCR format and in good condition. Both are well-documented informative educational videos sourced by leading researchers and scientists.

How do you get your free videos? There is no obligation to buy anything or even pay postage! Of course we would like it if you got the word out, tweeted us, said a public thank you or bought our products. But all you need to do is this. Just send us an email telling us who will be using your videos!

Thank you, and while you are at it check out some of  our other products!