Archive for April, 2007
Hypocrisy
Days after a [now conservative controlled] Supreme Court ruled in favor of anti-abortion law, the New York Times ran this article on infant deaths in the southeast US. A recent study reveals an alarming rise in infant mortality rates in Mississippi and other states. This corroborates a long-held personal theory: the social conservatives who sovehemently oppose abortion, citing the sanctity of the life of an un -born fetus, promptly abandon their cause as soon as the baby is born. By systematically reducing funding for social welfare programs that support expecting and new mothers, the policies of the current conservative administration have led to an increase in infant deaths. (Not to mention, the ignorant-if-not-criminal practice of “abstinence only” sex education increases the number of unwanted pregnancies. But that’s for another day.)
Another interesting point to consider: many of the loudest anti-abortion advocates are also pro-death penalty. A position that one can only describe as hypocritical, it seems that the precious sanctity of life applies only to the unborn, not an adult charged with a crime. Given the number of cases in which a death sentence isreversed upon discovery of new evidence, it is safe to say that the death penalty claims innocent life. This adult, innocent life must not be as valuable as that of the fetus.
Of course, this isn’t the real explanation. If the abortion debate were truly about terminating pregnancies, or if the death penalty debate were truly about dealing with criminals, the outcome would be much different. The sad fact is that these emotionally charged subjects are routinely paraded down Main Street as a means to influence the electorate. It’s no wonder that these subjects seem to emerge only during election season or when political reality (read: Iraq quagmire) is less than pleasant for the team in charge.
The real tragedy in this is not that we are distracted by sensational politics but that the rights of women have been thrown by the wayside to preserve political power. As a closing note: is in coincidence that the five consenting justices are all men?
Filed under culture, politics : Comments (0) : Apr 22nd, 2007
3 easy energy choices
1. CFL light bulbs. This one is a no-brainer. Modern compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) are cheap, energy efficient, and they produce high quality light. (But don’t take my word for it, read this review in Popular Mechanics.) The beauty of the CFL is two-fold: first, they use 25% as much energy as their incandescent cousins. If you replace your most-used lights, this can lead to significant monthly savings on your energy bill. Additionally, the bulbs last much longer–8000 hrs or more (compared to 1000 hours for incandescents). And at only $2-4/bulb, you are saving on bulb replacement costs as well!
There’s really no excuse for keeping your old fashioned light bulbs. Go to the ecoLightBulbStore and order a dozen bulbs. Or check out your local hardware store, as CFLs are now very common and easy to find. As a final added bonus for all you Wisconsin locals, you can get a rebate of $2/bulb from Focus on Energy!
2. Ride a bike. If you live in anything resembling a city, your life will be greatly improved with the addition of a bicycle. Any destination within 5 miles of your home is easily accessible by bike. With a little careful planning, you can greatly reduce the amount of driving you do on a daily basis. Plus it’s great exercise!
Now for a few minor caveats: First, do not mistake the two-wheeled junk heaps at Target, K-Mart or Walmart for a bicycle. They most certainly are not. If you want to buy a bicycle, you must go to a bike shop. A brand new bicycle will cost $300-500. This may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that a well maintained bike will easily last 10 years or more. A used bicycle will cost $100-200, and if you buy it from a reputable used bike shop you will likely end up with a great bargain.
Bicycles, like cars, require regular maintenance. You can easily perform this maintenance yourself with a few tools and a little know-how. This is why you bought your bicycle at a bike shop–they will happily instruct you on how to oil a chain, adjust your brakes, and add air to your tires.
Finally, buy a helmet and front & rear lights. Don’t take unnecessary chances!
3. Opt-in for green electricity. Many utilities offer voluntary programs for customers to pay a little more on their bill to support green energy projects. Here in Milwaukee, WE Energies offers their Energy for Tomorrow program. I pay an extra 1 cent per kWh of electricity which goes to fund projects like wind turbines and biofuels in the region. I know that MG&E (in Madison, WI) offers a similar program, and chances are that your local utility does as well.
These programs serve a few purposes: most importantly, they support projects that reduce the environmental impact of generating electricity. As an added bonus, it serves to remind you to conserve electricity by gently pinching your wallet every month. It also demonstrates to utilities, politicians, and the public that there is a very real demand for green energy.
Don’t delay. Make a change today. Here you have three easy ways to make an appreciable difference in your personal impact on energy resources and environmental impact. Pick one that you like and make the change today. Or be a super all-star and do two or three. We simply can’t wait for top-down government regulations to reverse the trend of environmentally costly energy. We can all take action today and drive change from bottom up.
Filed under climate change, culture, energy : Comments (2) : Apr 18th, 2007
Genius.
I stumbled upon this newspaper clipping and couldn’t resist publishing it here:
(I trust you can find the logical error in Ms. Meskimen’s letter.) From: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/treehugger_read_2.php
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (3) : Apr 18th, 2007
Progress in Iraq
Sometimes Jon Stewart says it best: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2842691
This one is a real gem.
[Sorry, can't imbed video from iFilm. You'll have to click through.]
Filed under politics, war : Comments (0) : Apr 14th, 2007
Fukuyama
I had the opportunity to see Dr. Francis Fukuyama give a lecture on U.S. foreign policy in the Bush doctrine era. Fukuyama was once a part of the Neo-Conservative inner circle, and has worked for or with many of the current Bush Administration officials. It was very interesting to hear his insight and reflections on how we got to where we are today and why the Neocons so radically shifted their policy in the last six years.
He offered five lessons in foreign policy learned during the Bush presidency:
1. Hard power has limited use in unstable regions like the Middle East. This is in contrast to classic foreign policy doctrine of using a large military for deterrence and persuasion. The critical difference in the Middle East is a lack of powerful central states. Al Quaeda and Hezbollah are two examples of powerful non-state actors that operate within the framework of weak states. Simply put, a strong military presence is not an effective deterrence in the absence of true state power. Worse, our presence in Iraq actually empowers non-state groups by further destabilizing the region.
2. Preventive war is not an effective strategy in enforcing nonproliferation. Quoting Otto Von Bismarck, “Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.” Supposing that the goal was to prevent Iraq from acquiring WMD, preventive war was not the correct action. Economic and political sanctions are much more effective at enforcing nonproliferation, and as we discovered all too late, they were working in the case of Iraq. The only deterrence to come out of our adventure in Iraq is self-deterrence: the U.S. public is now much less likely support military intervention with other dangerous regimes such as Iran and North Korea.
3. Promoting democracy does not directly stop the spread of terrorism. Quite to the contrary, most influential radical leaders use the spread of modernity and democracy as a recruiting tactic. The teachings of Islam are centered on rules and a highly structured community–quite different from the personal liberties and freedoms favored in a democracy. In the long run, the spread of democracy is a good thing, but in the short run it may fuel more radicalization if done too aggressively.
4. Multilateral solutions are critical to nonproliferation and world peace. The U.S. has lost its claimed moral superiority in the world, and anti-US backlash is at an extreme. We cannot act unilaterally in the future if we hope to avoid further conflict.
5. The current U.S. government is incompetent. The ambitious goals of the Bush doctrine were carried out with such egregious incompetence that there was never the possibility of success. The decline of Iraq into civil war was preventable at the onslaught of the war, but with so many errors in judgement it is now impossible to make a clean exit.
Filed under culture, politics, war : Comments (0) : Apr 12th, 2007
NBC drops Imus
After his incredibly ignorant, hateful, inexcusable comments about the Rutgers basketball team, NBC has dropped “Imus in the Morning” from their broadcast schedule.
I am pleased with this decision. A man like that has no place on television in the 21st century. (I’m a little disappointed that it took a week to reach this decision, but I suppose that’s the speed at which business decisions are made.)
Good work, NBC.
Update: CBS just announced that the are firing Imus from his radio show. Turns out the broadcast media does have a spine.
Filed under culture, work : Comments (3) : Apr 12th, 2007
Step it Up 2007
There’s a national rally happening this weekend to draw attention to climate change and tell our elected representatives to Step it Up!
I will be attending the local rally in Milwaukee, but there are literally thousands of similar events taking place all over the U.S. Chances are that there is something going on in your home town. (And if there’s not then you can start your own!)
We’re past debating whether global climate change is happening or whether humans are to blame. It’s time we take action. Please join me!
Filed under climate change, culture, energy, politics : Comments (2) : Apr 10th, 2007
Change
Some fear it, some embrace it, all experience it. Success in life and business is often linked with the ability to anticipate, drive, and adapt to change. I’ve seen this first hand at work–the difference between people who resist change and those who embrace it is striking. I would not have a job if my company had resisted change in its 100+ year history.
In politics, change is central to the eternal clash between the two main parties. In the most classical sense, the goal of conservative politics is to seek to avoid change and maintain the status quo. (Note that the current Party of Bush has largely abandoned the classical conservative vision.) A liberal, then, tries to bring about change and move a society forward. (Note also that the current Party of Pelosi doesn’t really have a guiding philosophy at the moment, making comparison difficult)
I trust most readers will agree that we are in a period of significant global change. The last two decades have seen fundamental shifts in global power (goodbye, cold war), economic power (hello, China, India, Russia, Brazil), technology (see: internet), and demographics (the old people are really piling up). Add to this the coming changes in energy resources and global climate change, and you’ve got the recipe for a rather tumultuous future.
Now comes the punch line: we must embrace change. We can’t succeed as a nation if we futilely resist change.
Case in point: energy. Every time I hear a hack-pundit explaining that ethanol, or biodiesel, or hybrid technology is too expensive, I cry a little on the inside. Each of these comparisons rests on the notion that gasoline will eternally be available for a few dollars a gallon. I don’t think I am alone in pointing out that this reasoning is flawed. Likewise, I take quarrel with the notion that we can’t afford to expand our existing (and very limited) public transportation system. The end of affordably driving a personal automobile every day are drawing nigh. Finally, consider the question of global climate change. Similar to the arguments above, we’ve heard that curbing the emissions of green house gases is too expensive or not feasible. I hate to rain on the fairy tale parade, but dealing with the effects of climate change isn’t going to come cheap.
Change is coming, whether we invite it or not. We can make proactive decisions to adapt gracefully, or we can resist change and make it painful when it eventually comes. I tend to believe in the former.
[I found this image on my computer, but I have no idea where I got it. Sorry to post without giving credit to the artist!]
Filed under climate change, culture, energy, politics : Comments (0) : Apr 9th, 2007
Conservation, conservation, conservation
It’s the 10,000lb elephant in the discussion of global climate change and renewable energy. It’s not politically popular. (I hear echoes of Dick Cheney: “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy.”) It’s not easy to monetize or enforce. Yet realistically, conservation is by far our greatest untapped energy resource in the U.S. today.
One of my pet peeves when debating our energy policy and its global ramifications is the classic complaint “we can’t afford to clean up our energy supply. The only way to reduce green house gas emissions is to raise taxes!” It’s ever so disheartening to find that so many of our fearless leaders in Washington are so clueless about the realities of energy policy. There are exactly two ways to reduce green house gas emissions but we only think about the first. 1) Change the energy source. 2) Reduce the energy demand.
Here’s the beauty of conservation: it’s cheaper than free! If we can make incremental changes to our homes, cars, cities, and overall lifestyle, we will collectively save billions of dollars while reducing pollution and green house gas emissions.
But wait! It gets better: due to the extraction, transportation, and distribution needs in our national energy system, conservation actually has a multiplicative effect. Saving 100 kilowatt/hours of electricity at my home is equivalent to 105 kilowatt/hours of electricity at thepower plant , which is equivalent to 160 kilowatt/hours of coal at the plant, which is equivalent to 200 kilowatt/hours of coal still in the ground. (This is an example for electricity; the reader can perform a similar calculation for gasoline.) By simply reducing my demand, I multiplied my energy savings by a factor of two!
Conservation is not an overnight change. It is a gradual process of shifting priorities and shifting cultural values and norms. It can start in simple ways, like replacing yourincandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent , washing your laundry in cold water, or using fans instead of an air conditioner during cooler days in the summer. Larger changes might be an increase in public transportation or a vigorous car-pooling initiative paired with the addition of HOV lanes, consumers buying local foods and products, or using smart landscaping to take advantage of passive solar energy. The next step in this progression is a rebirth in city living–by far the least energy intensive–and gradual elimination of the bedroom suburb.
You’ll notice that exactly zero of the initiatives mentioned above require raising taxes or significant capital investment. These are all things that we could be doing today. The biggest limitation thus far is a vacuum of leadership at the federal and state level when it comes to conservation. Jimmy Carter had it right when he asked us all to conserve to soften the spike in oil prices. And guess what? It worked.
Filed under climate change, culture, energy : Comments (0) : Apr 7th, 2007
10 ways to boost your professional courtesy
I’ve been working in the IT industry for almost a year and I’ve started to notice the nuances between people I like to work with and people who make work a drag. The following list is 10 easy ways to improve your perception with your peers and display professional courtesy. (These should be universal to all professions, so don’t worry if you’re not an IT geek like me.)
- Accept or deny meeting invites and update the meeting organizer if your response changes. It’s incredibly frustrating to be waiting in a conference room wondering if the meeting participants will show up.
- Set your IM/SameTime status accurately. Many businesses use instant messaging for quick communication between employees. Take the time to set your status accurately, so people know if you’re at your computer or away. This is especially important if you’re sharing your screen on a projector to prevent messages from popping up on your screen.
- Write brief emails with meaningful subjects. I have yet to find a colleauge who suffers from too few emails. Do everyone a favor and keep them short. Use the subject line to succinctly describe the message for ease in later retrieval.
- Put down your laptop in meetings. This may be unique to IT organizations, but it is very unsettling to look around the table in a meeting and find everyone burried in their laptop.
- Avoid unnecessary meetings. If the outcome of the meeting could be reached through email or a brief phone call, don’t schedule the meeting. Unnecessary meetings lead to problem #4.
- When calling a meeting, provide an agenda. This goes along with #5. If you are organizing a meeting, it is your obligation to organize the meeting! Provide an agenda and drive discussion so you can finish the meeting on time. Don’t be afraid to set aside items that arise in the meeting but are not germane to the subject at hand.
- Think twice before forwarding or CC’ing mail. The only thing worse than an inbox full of unread emails is an inbox full of unread forwarded emails. Use restraint.
- Manage your stress & emotions. You are a professional. The workplace is not an appropriate setting to gossip about your co-workers or vent about some personal issues. Manage your stress and emotions so you can act like a professional while at work.
- Stay healthy. This follows from #8. You are the only person who can take care of your body. Don’t try to be a hero by staying late each night, coming in early each morning, and burning yourself out. As your body suffers, so does your mind and ultimately your performance at work.
- If you’re ill, stay home. Trust me, your co-workers do not want to share whatever strain of the flu or cold you happen to be carrying. If you are sick, stay home. HR gives you sick days for a reason!
So there you have it. 10 tips from a barely-out-of-college professional. Any that I missed? Please post a comment.
Filed under work : Comments (0) : Apr 5th, 2007
