Twilight Earth

Water: Nature’s Wonderdrug–Now with Wonderdrugs! (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:13:54 +0000

Between 2006 and 2007, the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas screened tap water from 19 US water utilities for 51 different compounds. The 11 most frequently detected compounds are highlighted in the cartoon and described below.

1.used to treat cardiovascular disease, 2.an herbicide banned in the European Union (still used in the US) has been implicated in the decline of fish stocks and in changes in animal behavior, 3.a mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder, 4.an estrogen hormone blamed for causing gender-bending changes in fish, 5.an anti-cholesterol drug, 6.a tranquilizer used in psychiatric treatment, 7.a painkiller and anti-inflammatory linked to increases in asthma incidence, 8.an anticonvulsant used to treat epilepsy, 9.an antibiotic used against the “Strep” bacteria, 10.a reducing agent used in molecular biology, 11.an antibiotic

Christian Daughton of the EPA’s National Exposure Research Laboratory says that neither this nor other recent water assessments give cause for health concern. “But several point to the potential for risk - especially for the fetus and those with severely compromised health.”

More on water

Top 11 compounds in US drinking water
Drink Your Pee!: The Future of Water Filtration
Top Colleges Working Together to Solve Nation’s Water Woes

Follow all of Mean Joe Green’s environmental cartoons on JoeMohrToons.com and on Twitter at @GreenCartoons.

Pesticides and ADHD (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:13:30 +0000

From Grist: More research linking pesticide exposure to ADHD in kids

Follow all of Mean Joe Green’s environmental cartoons on JoeMohrToons.com and on Twitter at @GreenCartoons.

Monsanto Gets Beat–May Lose Beets (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:13:21 +0000

A victory for anyone who likes healthy food, soil, and water! Monsanto’s sour plans for the sweet beet were spoiled as a federal judge banned genetically modified sugar beets.

This is great news and hopefully a large step forward to getting food production back on a less toxic track.

Sugar beet, you are a beacon of hope for your genetically altered veggie brothers and sisters.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White you are a beacon of hope for humans who eat food and drink water.

Follow all of Mean Joe Green’s environmental cartoons on JoeMohrToons.com and on Twitter at @GreenCartoons.

Chemicals and Obesity Speeding up Puberty in Girls (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:13:18 +0000

The news that chemicals and obesity causes premature puberty in girls is the latest of thousands of red flags waving high above our food production and consumption status quo. Of course, things are changing, but are they changing fast enough?

Nope. The only thing changing quickly is the level of toxicity in our children.

Follow all of Mean Joe Green’s environmental cartoons on JoeMohrToons.com and on Twitter at @GreenCartoons.

BP’s Getting All Cap-Happy (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:13:28 +0000

If only BP would put all of this new found cap success to work to stop other toxic gushers…

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Follow all of his green cartooning at JoeMohrToons.com.

If Climate Change Was a Dog (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:13:37 +0000

We did know about climate change back in the 50’s, as evidenced by this Frank Capra Video on Global Warming. But even though it was a monster of a dog back then, it was still just a harmless little puppy.

Today, well, it’s different. And I don’t know how much I trust the little man controlling that monster of a dog. I think it’s a female dog too, so it’s safe to say climate change is a bitch, a scary three-headed bitch with a taste for blood!

Follow Joe on Twitter @GreenCartoons
Follow all of his green cartooning at JoeMohrToons.com.

Genetically Modified Truths (cartoon)

JoeMohr — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:13:09 +0000

The biotech and agrochemical industries are KILLING us! Well, atleast they are well aware of that and are working hard to clean up their act.
Oh wait, now I’m not telling the truth…

More relevant info:

The Killing Fields of Multi-National Corporations
How Toxins Are Making Our Children Chronically Ill
Millions Against Monsanto
Follow Joe on Twitter @GreenCartoons
Follow all of his green cartooning at JoeMohrToons.com.

Fragile Day Song by Wilderland Benefits Gulf BP Oil Spill Cleanup Efforts

Adam Shake — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:33:16 +0000

The Song Fragile Day by Wilderland is going to benefit the Gulf BP oil spill cleanup efforts.

The unimaginable Gulf Oil Spill has left us all with an intense combination of emotions, from sadness to anger to helplessness. How could this happen? And now that the leak has been stopped, what can we do as individuals to help fix this environmental disaster?

A group of music industry veterans answers the call by coming together to release a new song called “Fragile Day” by musical duo Wilderland. The song is available for sale at iTunes ($1.98 per download) and 100% of the proceeds will benefit three important charities that are making a difference to help clean up the damage to the environment and wildlife: The Gulf Restoration Network, EarthShare and The WILD Foundation.

Heralding from the mountains of Ashland, Oregon, Wilderland features singer-songwriters Scott Blum and Kat Sanchez. A veteran from the music industry, Blum (multimedia producer for Peter Gabriel, Soundgarden and many others) balances the exquisite vocal styling’s of Sanchez who had been a member of a wide range of local bands most of her life.

After writing several original songs, the musicians began collaborating with renowned underground DJ and multi-instrumentalist Rara Avis (Desert Dwellers, Shaman’s Dream) to realize their musical vision. It was during these studio sessions that the Gulf Oil Spill tragedy happened which deeply affected all involved in the project. Ironically, the song “Fragile Day” was being worked on at that very moment, and when explaining the song’s lyrics to Avis, Blum realized that a powerful coincidence was afoot.

The song includes the lyric “Fish are dimming while they’re swimming / Blackened ocean of foam” which, although written nearly two years prior, was about fish dying because of an oil spill. Credit is given to Blum’s wife Madisyn Taylor who suggested that “Fragile Day” be released immediately with all proceeds benefiting the habitat affected by the oil spill.

“I was struck by the synchronicity of working on this song at the same time as millions of gallons of oil were gushing into the Gulf of Mexico,” songwriter Blum explains, who is also a bestselling author and co-founder of the popular spiritual website DailyOM. “I had no choice but to present the track as an offering to help the efforts of those that are leading the charge in the cleanup of this tragedy. I was also humbled by the generosity of the dozens of music professionals, artists, authors and media companies that have all come together to help make a difference by making this effort successful.”

Also touched by the environmental tragedy, music industry superstars Toby Wright (Grammy award winning producer of Alice in Chains, Korn, 3 Doors Down, etc.) and Stephen Marcussen (mastering engineer for the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Seal, Cher, Paul McCartney, etc.) both contributed their expertise to this worthwhile project. Fine art photographer Roy DiTosti provided the image entitled “Blue Eggs Nest” which was used for the album cover.

Wilderland is currently in the studio wrapping up their first album which is planned for release in 2011.

Visit http://www.FragileDay.com to download the two song single for $1.98 to support this worthy cause.

Ashley Judd on her Hillbilly Pride and Mountain Top Removal

Adam Shake — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:48:45 +0000

Ashely Judd is a Hillbilly, and proud of it! She’s on a mission to protect her heritage from the devastation of Mountain Top Removal.

I ran into this great article by Ashley Judd and thought that it would be great to share. Enjoy.

I love and am proud of being a hillbilly. I trace my family in the mountains of eastern Kentucky back at least eight generations. There is no better home than Kentucky. But the land I love and the way of life there that I so cherish are endangered.

There is a searing tear, a gaping wound in the fabric of my life and in the lives of all Appalachians. And it gets bigger every day with every Appalachian mountaintop that is blown up, every holler that is filled, every stream that is buried, every wild thing that is wantonly and recklessly killed, every ecosystem that is diminished, every job that is lost to mechanization, every family that is pitted one against the other by the state-sanctioned, federal government supported coal industry operated rape of Appalachia. I’m talking about mountaintop removal coal mining.

To read the full story, go to OnEarth

Look Inside the FY2011 Budget Reveals Climate Change Funding

Adam Shake — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:43:01 +0000

photo credit: M☮nique

The budget for FY2011 has been released and there are some interesting things happening in reference to Climate Change expenditures.

There are different agencies clamoring for part of the Climate Change piece of the pie to include research and development, education, modeling, and adaptation programs.

As it should be, the main focus of the Climate Change dollars is going towards mitigation. There is some controversy though (especially amongst educators) that Education seems to be the biggest loser.

The focus on climate change mitigation is most apparent in the R&D budget. The largest request comes from the Department of Energy (DOE), which has asked for $8.2 billion for the Office of Science for clean energy-related R&D projects. Other departments and agencies have applied for billions in energy-related outlays as well.

Just Means recently published that “The push for mitigation not only focuses on investing in new, clean energy sources, but also on making the price for dirty energy more in line with the actual costs. DOE’s request not only asks for $8.2 billion to fund clean energy research, but also includes a request to eliminate $2.7 billion in subsidies for the coal, natural gas, and oil industries. This will help low emissions technology become more competitive with dirty technology.”

Education, however, can be seen by some (especially Climate Change deniers and skeptics) as propaganda. However, educating the public about climate change will only help put pressure on governments to pass a comprehensive climate bill.

With recent reports of the Climate Change scientists who were roasted by the press when they had Emails stolen and misinterpreted, cleared of dishonesty, it’s time for the world to accept that Climate Change is real and a threat.