Civic responsibility begins within families and graduates out into the community and local government, then to the election of state lawmakers and finally to the US Congress and the President of United States.
Mrs. Obama’s personal concerns for how her children could be affected by misconceptions and even lies about her are universally felt by women—and even men—who are unjustly portrayed based on racial stereotypes. Because not all women have access to influence the national conversation, the First Lady’s candor and honesty is appreciated by those who suffer from oppression and injustice. Resources http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/12/michelle-obama-twice-as-good-african-americans-black-people
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But there are potentially negative aspects to the deal for pistachio growers in California, for they will be subject to competition from importation of Iranian pistachios, which could take bite out profits for California farmers. Iran is the number one grower of the nut and when their product is allowed in US markets, the price of pistachios could drop impacting growers’ profits. The European pistachio market is worth $300 million to US growers. While the Iranian crop is not banned there, it is “constrained” by the adjunct sanctions on banking and shipping. This could all change if US sanctions are removed. How much an open market for the Iranian product would affect price of California pistachios is unknown. But Bloomberg speculates the "biggest losers may be Californian farmers who have doubled pistachio acreage over the past ten years despite drought conditions." Pistachio growers face reduced water supplies Central Valley growers are at a crossroads and have two decades to comply to a California groundwater law to end unsustainable groundwater use. During that time, however, growers will keep pumping water instead of reining in usage—at least that is the prediction by some experts. The regulations will take years to implement. Water agencies in the most over-pumped basins are not required to submit plans to the state until January 2020; the plans must be aimed at achieving sustainability by 2040. Charles Burt, chairman of the Irrigation Training and Research Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo compares the annual groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley with crop water usage. If his calculations are correct, 1 million to 1.5 million acres will go out of production in the coming years. “There are just more straws in there than there is water,” he said in the Los Angeles Times. Considering the extended drought water emergency being called the “new normal” in California, this writer believes it is irresponsible for lead pistachio growers to encourage farmers to plant more acreage when the orchards in existence are under stress from drought conditions that could impact tree productivity. In response to the water crisis, the University of California’s annual Statewide Pistachio Day as far back as 2009 focused on assisting growers to maximize the limited water supply. UC Davis Irrigation Specialist David Goldhamer shared strategies for budgeting irrigations for what he calls “maximum water use productivity,” reported by Western Farm Press. If poorly timed, he said, water stress in pistachios will have significant yield impacts for many seasons to come. But if timed well, trees can recover from water stress quickly with little impact on yield for current and future crop years. “Pistachio trees are very deep rooted and can survive in extremely dry conditions. But that drought tolerance says nothing about productivity,” Goldhamer said. “The question is, in a drought situation, where we know we are going to be managing a limited water supply and we know we are going to be stressing our trees, how can we stress them, or specifically, when can we stress them and how much, with minimal impact on current and future years’ production.” Goldhammer’s warnings are even more salient in 2015 and are contrary to expanding pistachio acreage based on water resources in California. When the Iranian sanction deal is approved, the administration and Congress need to protect American growers with appropriate tariffs to prevent Iranian products—in this case pistachios—from flooding American markets and protect pistachio farmers. Meanwhile, US pistachio growers need to realize the water emergency is not going to magically disappear and could put orchards in jeopardy; therefore, they need to water manage the orchards in existence responsibly to preserve what they have—not plant more trees--or risk losing market share due to reduced productivity to Iranian product in the US and Europe. Resources http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-05/never-mind-oil-iran-s-about-to-shake-the-world-pistachio-market http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/05/california-drought-pistachio-iran-nuke-deal http://westernfarmpress.com/california-pistachio-growers-learn-how-farm-less-water http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-groundwater-20150318-story.html#page=1
Processed meats Processed meats contain numerous chemicals and preservatives, including sodium nitrates, which make them, look appealing and fresh but are well known carcinogens. Smoking meats seem to be particularly bad as the meat picks up tar from the smoking process. The list of process meat includes, but is not limited to, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, most lunch meats like bologna. Farmed Salmon Farmed salmon are fed unnatural diets contaminated with chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides, and other known carcinogens. They live in very crowded conditions which results in these fish having 30 times the number of sea lice than wild salmon. Farmed salmon are fed chemicals to make their meat that reddish pink color that should occur naturally because of the artificial diet. Studies have also shown that farmed salmon contain high levels of PCB’s, mercury, and cancer causing dioxins. Avoid farmed salmon and buy it canned or look for labels in your market that state the fish you are buying is wild sockeye salmon. The Natural On website has a list of sixteen cancer causing foods with descriptions similar to ones described here. You can read the entire list here that includes:
What is left? If you haven’t figured out what is safe to eat by now, it’s non-processed foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables—fresh or frozen, wild fish, free range chicken, eggs from non-caged chickens, and foods that have not been refined or processed. The best way is to buy non-industrially raised or grown crops and meat. The movie “Food, Inc.” emphasized that Americans do not know where their food comes from, how animals are raised, what chemicals are used, and the impact on the soil of industry farming that uses herbicides, pesticides, and farming practices that deplete the soil rather than enrich it. If people knew more about food sources, they would be inclined to not only change eating and buying habits, but also where they shop and how they cook food. The Slow Food Movement is a good example of how individuals can change food habits. Slow Food USA is part of the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, they link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible. Slow Food Mission: Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all. Good Our food should be tasty, seasonal, local, fresh and wholesome. Clean Our food should nourish a healthful lifestyle and be produced in ways that preserve biodiversity, sustain the environment and ensure animal welfare – without harming human health. Fair Our food should be affordable by all, while respecting the dignity of labor from field to fork. For All Good, clean and fair food should be accessible to all and celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions and nations that reside in the USA. Meat is a valuable source of protein for many individuals, and the Slow Food Movement recognizes the challenges in ranching and farming meat products. Smaller-scale farmers are answering the call with innovative and creative ways to mitigate the negative environmental effects of industrial food production by returning to traditional methods of animal husbandry, and using methods of farming and grazing that mimic nature and contribute to the health of our land. These methods not only help to combat climate change, but also create better and more flavorful meat. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to be a food conscious consumer. Join Meatless Monday. Acknowledging that better meat may cost more, we need to provide tools to help eaters shift to consuming less meat — and doing so joyously rather than as a punishment. Meatless Monday, a global movement that simply asks people to cut out meat just one day a week, remains a powerful tool in cutting meat consumption on a national and global level. We plan on encouraging Slow Food chapters to embrace and support Meatless Monday as a way to resist “cheap” meat, and to eat the better meat in less quantity. Organizers of the movement offer alternative suggestions to meat, including incorporating meat as a flavor as opposed to the main event on a dinner plate. Meatless Monday exemplifies how even small changes can have a huge impact on the environment and personal health, as well as exploring alternative menu planning. Not eating meat once a week doesn’t cost anything, and in fact might even be cheaper with meals planned around plant sources of protein like beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, tofu, nutritional yeast, spirulina, quinoa, and whole grains. Incremental changes have a cumulative effect, and it doesn’t mean you will never drink a soda again or eat a hamburger. Nutritional sites say basically the same thing. You are more likely to be successful at changing your habits if you make changes one step at a time. "Try to gradually incorporate new habits over time, and before you know it, you will be eating more healthfully…” according to Keri Gans, MS, RD, American Dietetic Association spokesperson and a nutritionist. I could not write this essay without being truthful about my own journey, and it has not been easy. It has taken a few years to change, for the most part, to not only make healthy choices, but also to enjoy healthy food. I still like the comfort foods and desserts that so many of us associate with epicurean deliciousness. The difference now is I don’t indulge in the those foods every day and have a sense of accomplishment buying and eating from the somewhat shorter list of fresh, non-processed foods, rather than the long list of industrialized and processed foods. Resources Natural on Slow food USA Green Biz Nutrition stripped
If the situation in Garland had been reversed with Muslims demonstrating and Christians armed with assault rifles proceeded to begin shooting, the same police response applies.
The most important lesson learned is that in a democracy, people are not killed for their values and beliefs. Diversity is one of the founding principles and strengths of American democracy because we are a nation of immigrants with a variety of religions and belief systems. John Adams Quotes on Government: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” “The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The founders were well aware of the dangers of any state-sponsored religion. In response to widespread sentiment that to survive the United States needed a stronger federal government, a convention met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 and on September 17 adopted the Constitution of the United States. Article VI states "no religious Test shall ever be required as Qualification" for federal office holders. According to The Congressional Register Adams’ decree was reiterated, James Madison the fourth president from 1809-1817 moved that "the civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext infringed." Madison defined freedom of religion as a “civil right,” that shall not be infringed. If Americans believe in the Constitution and the founders, then respect for the rights of all individuals to free speech and assembly must be secured and respected at all times. As repugnant and prejudicial as Gellar appears and the Muslim response her group incited which was thwarted by police, she was within her civil rights. Considering the outcome of two dead Muslims who otherwise might still be alive, she does not have much to complain about. She is alive and was protected appropriately, so the best thing for her group to do is count their non-denominational blessings and move on quietly. Resources http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/pam-geller-lashes-out-at-critics-youre-saying-the-pretty-girl-caused-her-own-rape/ http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06.html Sanders and Clinton on the issues
On Sanders’ website he has declared raising minimum wage to $15 per hour, which is what many across the nation are calling a “living wage” capable of elevating workers out of poverty, not merely an attempt to keep pace with inflation. On the other hand, Clinton according to The Center for American Progress, which is reportedly privy to her views, has suggested raising it to $10.10. And she could support a Capitol Hill initiative to push it to $12 by 2020, according to a report in Washington Post comparing the candidates. Campaign finance reform is at the top of list for most Democrats, and both Clinton and Sanders have advocated reform. They support a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United Supreme court ruling. "Billionaires own the political process. That’s a huge issue," Sanders said in announcing his candidacy. Gun control issues pit Clinton and Sanders on different planes. Clinton favors stricter gun control and Sanders’ voting history reflects the constituency of Vermont. In 1999 he voted against increasing the waiting period for gun purchases. In 2005 he voted “yes” on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. And in 2007 he voted “yes” on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership. In 2013 he voted to prohibit the sale of assault weapons, limitation of firearm magazine capacity, and Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act. Amid the quaintness of being the home of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Vermont is a gun-owning state with estimates as high as 70 percent of residents owning guns, which makes it the most gun-friendly state in the country. Sanders the presidential candidate versus Sanders the Vermont Senator will collide on the national stage regarding the national sway on gun control, which has moved toward increasing gun control. The Transpacific Partnership (TTP) is another area where Clinton and Sanders part in support of President Barack Obama’s trade deal that is yet to be approved or garner Democratic support. Both Sen. Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have been outspoken in opposition to the TPP. Trade deals have been "abysmal failures," Sanders wrote in the Guardian. "They allowed corporations to shut down operations in the US and move work to low-wage countries where people are forced to work for pennies an hour; and they are one of the reasons that we have lost almost 60,000 factories in our country and millions of good-paying jobs since 2001." While Clinton has been cautious in supporting trade deals in the last few years, she supports the TPP—well sort of. Reports say she is watching the crack down on currency manipulation, which is China. Also, she favors environmental and health protections, and promotion of transparency and open new opportunities for small businesses to export overseas, according to one of her aides. Foremost the TPP needs to protect US workers and raise wages and strengthen national security for her to support it. Clinton has not made a definitive statement about her stance on banking which some believe is because of her ties to Wall Street. Some of Clinton’s longtime supporters work on Wall Street and would pull their contributions if she were to speak out against them. Banks “too big to fail” depend on the federal government to be rescued in the event of economic collapse, which Sanders et al argue is asking the American people bail out banks when they engage in risky behavior. "If they're too big to fail, they're too big to exist," Sanders said Thursday. On Israel, Sanders’s leftwing base views the country as a marauding human rights abuser; however, Sanders has been working on peace in the Middle East, i.e. Israel and Palestine, for 50 years. He has faulted Israeli “overreaction” in Gaza, and has issued criticisms of Israeli conduct over the years and has questioned the Israel lobby over its opposition to Palestinian statehood initiatives at the United Nations. Sanders maintains the conventional mainstream view of the conflict, in which Hamas is to blame, the Palestinians leadership is not a partner, and Arab countries are bad actors. A view he has held since 2009. And when pressed about Israel’s conduct, he says Israel is a defense against 7th century religious fundamentalism embodied in ISIS. Even if Bernie Sanders does not have the moneyed interests that Mrs. Clinton has, he can impact her candidacy and the final Democratic platform developed at the Democratic Convention in 2016. He is important to refining and defining the values that Democrats embody. Mrs. Clinton has expressed no desire to be in a hurry to take a stand on controversial topics. Candidates generally take ideological positions in the state primaries before migrating to centrist views for national appeal. With Sanders as a formidable nomination opponent, however, she could be forced to speak out on issues about which Sanders challenges her in areas like the economy and foreign trade. If she is not forthwith, there is a risk of losing grassroots involvement, border line liberals, and alienating swing voters. Why are challengers so important? Having a field of candidates dilutes the opposing party’s criticism. When Clinton was the only declared nominee, Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, who was behind former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's insurgent bid against favorite John Kerry in 2004 said, "They'll all be taking shots [at Clinton],” reported in Business Insider. Jeff Bechdel, a spokesman for the anti-Clinton PAC America Rising, which is devoted to blanketing the public and press with criticism of the candidate, as vowed to keep her on the defensive. Additionally, Clinton will have the progressive base to deal with who have casted her as not left enough—while many hard line progressives still long for Elizabeth Warren. Bill de Blasio, the progressive mayor of New York, spoke for the “undecided” when he was noncommittal on endorsing her candidacy in April, saying on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he wanted to hear Clinton's vision for the country. Mrs. Clinton’s “vision for the country” is being revealed slowly, perhaps too slowly for Democrats who are eager to know and support her. She has clearly gone after the women’s vote as mother and grandmother, which is exhilarating for many of us; however, it’s not enough. Sen. Sanders’ appeal focuses on his transparency and outspoken advocacy for the Middle Class and income inequality. He does not hedge on political positions and is candid and sincere when asked about his values and beliefs. Clinton is bound to be encouraged to at least match him in areas that are historically representative of the Democratic Party; therefore, delegates to the national convention will have a clear sense of who they want to be the nominee. Domestic policy: Working class people, living wage, strong unions, maintaining federal programs like Society Security, Medicare and now the Affordable Care Act. Foreign policy: US leadership in the UN, but reserving the right to disagree; engage with China but loyal to Taiwan; maintain relationships with Japan and Asian Pacific countries; focus on diplomacy to solve international conflicts and embrace the new with persuasion not a bully pulpit; leadership in Africa for humanitarian and economic rights. Resources http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/us/politics/hillary-clinton-enters-2016-presidential-race.html?_r=0 http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21648005-she-has-no-serious-rivals-yet-democratic-nomination-voters-still-have-plenty http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/04/21/401123124/a-timeline-of-hillary-clintons-evolution-on-trade http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/04/30/3652790/bernie-sanders-announcement/ http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/04/10/3644602/hillary-clinton-foreign-policy/ Tesla Energy could solve an environmental issue, and also addresses a national security issue for the US and other countries whose military personnel are deployed to protect fuel interests in foreign lands. And the economics are very close to making sense, especially by the time Musk’s Gigafactory starts mass producing batteries in 2017. The home battery device will cost $3,500 initially and will go on sale in the US later this year. Projections are that the roll out will continue internationally by 2016. The cost was the price to installers and did not include incentives. Germany is eyed as a key market for the product — which is about 6 inches thick, 4 feet tall and 3 feet across — because it has among the highest take-up of solar energy in the world, Musk said. In cooperation with Panasonic and other strategic partners, the Gigafactory will produce batteries for significantly less cost using economies of scale, innovative manufacturing, reduction of waste, and the simple optimization of locating most manufacturing process under one roof. We expect to drive down the per kilowatt hour (kWh) cost of our battery pack by more than 30 percent. The Gigafactory will also be powered by renewable energy sources, with the goal of achieving net zero energy, according to the Tesla website. Undeveloped countries transformed The obvious benefactors of the new technology could be under-developed regions of the world where electrical power is unavailable, unreliable or too expensive. Solar energy, however, is abundant everywhere and the challenge is capturing and storing it, which the new Tesla Powerwall could provide. Musk compares the introduction of the home battery system to the advances made by wireless mobile phones. There are few areas in the world that do not have access to cellphones in the 21st Century, and they have become common place and affordable worldwide. Not all residential markets work for energy storage There will be challenges in individual US state markets. SolarCity founder and CTO Peter Rive suggested in a recent blog post, "Proceedings currently underway, such as the New York REV and California’s More than Smart, seek the creation of effective market structures for distributed clean energy services that will reward utilities for adopting cheaper, cleaner, customer-sited resources. The products that we’re announcing today are the building blocks of these new market structures." He added, "I believe the best grid design is one in which utilities embrace distributed energy resources. However, when utilities and regulators impose solar-specific charges on their customers, or burden homeowners with unduly long system interconnection delays, utilities risk mass customer defection from the grid via solar battery systems,” in Greentech Media. Skeptics of innovative technology not new In 2013 the 40th anniversary of the cell phone was celebrated. In 1973 a Motorola engineer named Marty Cooper made an historic call using the world's first cellphone, dialing a rival at AT&T from a hand-held mobile phone while standing on a sidewalk in New York City, just to prove he could. Skepticism about the cellphone abounded setting obstacles that included technological, regulatory, and infrastructure hurdles, it was another decade before a Motorola executive made the first commercial wireless call on a Motorola DynaTAC phone, in October 1983. It wasn't until the 1990s, however, that handheld cellphones edged their way into mainstream popularity in the US and ultimately around the world. The Tesla Powerwall will have similar challenges of acceptance and marketability as well, but the worldwide applications cannot be denied and like the mobile phone will continue to be refined and developed. Resource Raw Story Verge http://www.teslamotors.com/gigafactory http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Reporting-Live-From-the-Tesla-Mystery-Product-Unveiling http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/04/03/cell_phones_40th_birthday_skeptics_made_fun_of_first_mobile_phone.html |
Dava Castillo
is retired and lives in Clearlake, California. She has three grown
children and one grandson and a Bachelor’s degree in Health Services
Administration from St. Mary’s College in Moraga California. On the
home front Dava enjoys time with her family, reading, gardening, cooking
and sewing. Archives
November 2015
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