Oil Flows Freely Again!

Just in from the Washington Post this morning...It seems the oil is flowing freely again! Evidently, the Deepwater Horizon well became an "uncapped geyser," according to the Washington Post.  With the cap gone, once again, the oil flows freely into the gulf.  


Naturally engineers frantically came on the scene to recap the well, BUT there is no idea when it will return to its previous level of performance... Just another reminder that THIS IS NOT WORKING!!!! 

GET THIS THING CONTAINED TODAY  IS THE MESSAGE OF THE HOUR!!!!

For further reading:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/23/AR2010062302595_pf.html

 Are You Kidding Me?

After the horrendous tragedy that happened in the Gulf, and continues to spill oil out daily, BP is proclaiming liberty 3 miles off the coast of Alaska.  While Obama has managed to halt other projects, this one is forging ahead, since the project has already received "state" and "federal" funding.  

While there are a few other things that still need to be approved, if "all" goes as planned, the Liberty Project will begin in the fall.  “The whole process for approving Liberty was bizarre,” one of the federal scientists said.

The scientists and other critics say they are worried about a replay of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico because the Liberty project involves a method of drilling called extended reach that experts say is more prone to the types of gas kicks that triggered the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon.

(As well they should be worried!  This should NOT be happening)

“It makes no sense,” said Rebecca Noblin, the Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental watchdog group. “BP pushes the envelope in the gulf and ends up causing the moratorium. And now in the Arctic they are forging ahead again with untested technology, and as a result they’re the only ones left being allowed to drill there.”

BP has defended the project in its proposal, saying it is safe and environmentally friendly. It declined to respond to requests for further comment (oh gee, how odd...).

BP officials say that by accessing the Liberty oil field from far away, the project reduces the chance of impacting the North Shore area.  

But there's still a chance.  Why mess with this? 

They need to fix what they've done in the GULF and NOW!

The Liberty field lies about five miles from land under the shallow waters of the Beaufort Sea in an area populated during the winter by seals and polar bears and covered by thick floating ice.

However, according to the NY Times (article below), this type of drilling is riskier and more complicated than "traditional" drilling.  

Let's look at the highlights:

• Risker and more complicated
• Relatively new (uncertain)
• Gas leaks are more frequent and harder to detect
• More powerful machinery required for this type of drilling
• More pressure on pipes and casings
• Islands are so small, that if a leak occurs, it will RAPIDLY spill over into surrounding waters

ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY IS THIS EVEN BEING CONSIDERED?

 Further Reading:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/us/24rig.html?WT.mc_id=US-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-TMO-062410-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

Oil in the Gulf, two months later 

This incident will change the face of our existence forever. We will suffer the effects of this travesty for generations. We have been rolling the dice for years, options for oil alternatives have been around for years and have been oppressed by big business and bigger wallets.  This is a HORRIBLE travesty, and this LEAK MUST BE STOPPED NOW...

62 days have passed since the initial explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and the crude oil and natural gas continue to gush from the seafloor. Re-revised estimates now place the flow rate at up to 60,000 barrels a day – a figure just shy of a worst-case estimate of 100,000 barrels a day made by BP in an internal document recently released by a congressional panel. Louisiana’s state treasurer has estimated environmental and economic damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill could range from $40 billion to $100 billion. Collected here are recent photographs from the Gulf of Mexico, and of those affected by the continued flow of oil and gas into the ocean.

Click here for photos:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/oil_in_the_gulf_two_months_lat.html

Please watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAR_yuCi6WE

Continued reading:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-52784-Atlanta-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m6d16-What-Obama-should-have-said-about-the-oil-spill

The Mean Reds

“You know those days when you’ve got the mean reds … the blues are because you’re getting fat or maybe it’s been raining too long. You’re sad, that’s all. But the mean reds are horrible. You’re afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don’t know what you’re afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don’t know what it is.”

— Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1958

I was speaking with a friend today about the many factors surrounding homelessness, and even more specifically the varied issues and lack of support that single women over 50 face, who for whatever reason find themselves either turned out, divorced, jobless, moneyless, or horrendously compromised.  When I say lack of support, that is precisely what I mean. 

It is so easy to assume that a person in this kind of situation will be taken care of by the government. This is not always the case. I know of a woman who has not been able to find work in over 2 years, and she receives $400 a month from Social Security.  When she finally decided to actually apply for welfare assistance, she was staggered to find out that she earns too much income! She faced the harsh reality is that welfare is primarily set up for struggling mothers who have children in the home.  This was also to include all facets of welfare assistance and food stamps. 

A recent report in SexualHealth.com says, "Homeless women in America have experienced a steady decline in mental, physical and financial health over the past decade, a new report finds.  In addition, the report showed,  "Women appeared to have had more acute and chronic mental health problems, significantly poorer overall health, and more limitations in physical functioning. They also reported more limitations in their social abilities due to their physical or emotional health problems, the study said.  Past studies have shown that homeless mothers with depression are unlikely to receive mental health services, and untreated depression can harm the development and well-being of both the mothers and their children."

Here's another mind-blower... It is actually illegal for a restaurant or business establishment to give the homeless food. This same friend and I when discussing homelessness told me that she tried to feed a homeless man pizza, and the minute she did, a policeman pulled up and warned her that it is illegal, and told her he would have to issue her a ticket if she continued.  These poor people often eat out of trash bins, or pick up scraps on the streets.  How can there possibly be an ordinance against helping someone out with something to eat?  It's outrageous! 

It is doubtful that anyone wakes up one morning with the desire to become homeless. The reasons that anyone ends up turned out are numerous and often complicated, but it is certain that these kind of stories are endless. There are scores of women who once lived respectable lives, who did not plan for life to take such a downbeat turn — a turn that has undoubtedly increased with our stormy economy.

Further Reading:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/06/17/96074/report-nations-economic-collapse.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/09/11/homeless.blogger/index.html
http://reg.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/43206-blanket-of-stars-offers-different-look-at-homeless-women.html
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/87_years_old_and_homeless_for_the_first_time

With a continued commitment to living "green," and eating healthy, I decided to make a wonderful vegan cream of broccoli soup!

Today's Lunch Menu:
Cream of broccoli soup with avacado
Falafel with roasted garlic hummus
Steamed artichoke

Here is the cream of broccoli soup recipe that I used.  It's YUMMALICOUS!

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients: (Use organic when possible)

2Tbsp. olive oil
1 white onion, diced
2 cups broccoli
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
Sea salt to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence (Spice Hunter)
2 1/2 cups diced avocado

Dice the onion and peel and chop the broccoli stems into small pieces.  Set the crowns aside.  In a soup pot, heat the oils on medium low and gently saute the onion and broccoli stems for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth and broccoli florets (chopped), the seasonings, and let simmer for 15 minutes on low.  Remove from heat, and let the soup cool.  Puree the soup, and pour it back into the pot, adding the coconut milk.  Heat.  Serve with diced avocado's on top. 





Bon appetite!