Your Questions About Green Living

Post debate-A question for swing state and undecided voters?

How will you make your decision for US President?

Suggestions:
-Filter out the gutter rhetoric and lies from both sides.
-Choose who you think is best able to calm and correct the economic crisis.
-Choose who you think will deal most effectively on a global scale.
-Choose who you think is more capable of rebuilding our national image and stature in the world.
-Choose who will work harder to assure our personal freedoms.
-Choose who will be most effective at maintaining our national security both domestically and militarily.
-Choose who is more dedicated to the ecological and environmental issues the world faces.
Best of luck.

Environmental Project Ideas?

Hey! Ok, for a school project in geography we have to create a powerpoint presentation on an environmental issue of our choice. Here are some examples that they gave us:
Deforestation
Over fishing
Pollution
Animal extinction(Choose only one animal)
Oil spills
Urbanization
Mining
and Hurricanes

Ok, if I chose one from there, it would be sharks extinction. But, I want to do something the nobody would choose. It has to answers these questions:
How have humans interacted with the enviroment to create this issue?
Where does this issue occur most often?
Give a specific example of this issue
Give people or groups on both sides of this issue

Any ideas that nobody would think of? It is for a geography project, and if there are some good websites or books for informantion, please say them! P.S.
Do you think hybrids would work? Probably not….. anyway, thanks for the answers ahead of time!

How do you, US citizen feel this opinion?

This is an opinion by Yukio Hatoyama, new prime minister of Japan.

A New Path for Japan

Article Tools Sponsored By By YUKIO HATOYAMA Published: August 26, 2009

TOKYO — In the post-Cold War period, Japan has been continually buffeted by the winds of market fundamentalism in a U.S.-led movement that is more usually called globalization. In the fundamentalist pursuit of capitalism people are treated not as an end but as a means. Consequently, human dignity is lost.

How can we put an end to unrestrained market fundamentalism and financial capitalism, that are void of morals or moderation, in order to protect the finances and livelihoods of our citizens? That is the issue we are now facing.

In these times, we must return to the idea of fraternity — as in the French slogan “liberté, égalité, fraternité” — as a force for moderating the danger inherent within freedom.

Fraternity as I mean it can be described as a principle that aims to adjust to the excesses of the current globalized brand of capitalism and accommodate the local economic practices that have been fostered through our traditions.

The recent economic crisis resulted from a way of thinking based on the idea that American-style free-market economics represents a universal and ideal economic order, and that all countries should modify the traditions and regulations governing their economies in line with global (or rather American) standards.

In Japan, opinion was divided on how far the trend toward globalization should go. Some advocated the active embrace of globalism and leaving everything up to the dictates of the market. Others favored a more reticent approach, believing that efforts should be made to expand the social safety net and protect our traditional economic activities. Since the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (2001-2006), the Liberal Democratic Party has stressed the former, while we in the Democratic Party of Japan have tended toward the latter position.

The economic order in any country is built up over long years and reflects the influence of traditions, habits and national lifestyles. But globalism has progressed without any regard for non-economic values, or for environmental issues or problems of resource restriction.

If we look back on the changes in Japanese society since the end of the Cold War, I believe it is no exaggeration to say that the global economy has damaged traditional economic activities and destroyed local communities.

In terms of market theory, people are simply personnel expenses. But in the real world people support the fabric of the local community and are the physical embodiment of its lifestyle, traditions and culture. An individual gains respect as a person by acquiring a job and a role within the local community and being able to maintain his family’s livelihood.

Under the principle of fraternity, we would not implement policies that leave areas relating to human lives and safety — such as agriculture, the environment and medicine — to the mercy of globalism.

Our responsibility as politicians is to refocus our attention on those non-economic values that have been thrown aside by the march of globalism. We must work on policies that regenerate the ties that bring people together, that take greater account of nature and the environment, that rebuild welfare and medical systems, that provide better education and child-rearing support, and that address wealth disparities.

Another national goal that emerges from the concept of fraternity is the creation of an East Asian community. Of course, the Japan-U.S. security pact will continue to be the cornerstone of Japanese diplomatic policy.

But at the same time, we must not forget our identity as a nation located in Asia. I believe that the East Asian region, which is showing increasing vitality, must be recognized as Japan’s basic sphere of being. So we must continue to build frameworks for stable economic cooperation and security across the region.

The financial crisis has suggested to many that the era of U.S. unilateralism may come to an end. It has also raised doubts about the permanence of the dollar as the key global currency.

I also feel that as a result of the failure of the Iraq war and the financial crisis, the era of U.S.-led globalism is coming to an end and that we are moving toward an era of multipolarity. But at present no one country is ready to replace the United States as the dominant country. Nor is there a currency ready to replace the dollar as the world’s key currency. Although the influence of the U.S. is declining, it will remain the world’s leading military and economic power for the next two to three decades.
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Times Topics: Yukio Hatoyama

Current developments show clearly that China will become one of the world’s leading economic nations while also continuing to expand its military power. The size of China’s economy will surpass that of Ja

join us in Earth Hour!!?

On march 28, 2009 (saturday) millions of people around the world will turn out all their lights and turn off all their electrical appliances for 1 hour at 8:30 their time. plz do the same! Earth hour spreads good word to political leaders about how we feel about global warming and other environmental issues, and also saves major amounts of electricity! plz answer and say that you’ll do it, email me if you have any questions

from a very dedicated Earth lover
I did it last year too! It was actually fun!
8:30 p.m. (10 characters?)
you can have candles and flashlights if you’re afraid of the dark just no electric lights

Moving from the US to Europe?

I am a junior in high school so I still have plenty of time but I would like to know some information in advance so I have goals to work toward. I would like to live in a European nation for several reasons.

I love the diversity of culture in just about any European nation, not to mention the beautiful landscape. The European Union is another thing I’m a big fan of and would like to live under. I find the European culture to be one that is more accepting and even appreciative of diversity and the arts.

I also like how many of the countries, such as France and Italy off the top of my head, are much slower paced. They use bicycles and public transport instead of constant car usage and you are more likely to find a European that is concerned about environmental issues than you are to find an American.

There are many more reasons and I could go on forever about it. However, I’m concerned about cost of living (which is considerably higher in many European countries) and how to get on my feet living in another continent. So what country would you recommend and what tips would you have for a future immigrant?