Green Options » political opinion

From Israel’s National Bird to Energy Independence

Heidi Suydam — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:12:00 +0000

All across the US and the world news agencies are reporting, Israel has chosen a national bird. In honor of their 60th anniversary as a country, they concluded a nationwide campaign to appoint a national bird. Some news articles are making sure we know the chosen bird is not kosher. Others are celebrating the fact that the bird species is known for being monogamous and taking good care of its young. The Jerusalem Post tells of Jewish folklore associating the bird with King Solomon and also quotes the Torah (Leviticus 11:19) which establishes that this bird is unfit for eating. The chosen bird is the Hoopoe.

Israel, a tiny country, making world news in choosing a national bird. Why? The world watches Israel and as Americans we will see our new President continuously re-evaluate our relationship with her as a friend and ally. Some in our country believe our alliance with Israel causes us hardships with terrorist groups and some Arab nations. Of course it is from Arab nations that we purchase much of our oil. Mentioning Arab oil we are igniting a discussion about oil and energy independence. As an energy independent nation we would be free to befriend and help any country we choose without the threat of our oil supply being terminated or exploited. Now we can embark on a discussion about energy independence, using alternative energy sources. As a country we need to decrease our dependence on oil altogether. All this from the mention of Israel choosing a national bird.

One country, younger than my parents, defying the odds at its inception and surviving many challenges during these last 60 years. With the help of some and despite the enmity of others, Israel has survived. As the news of this beautiful national bird circles the globe, those of us who give great importance to environmental and political issues can celebrate too. The choosing of this bird has brought the Society of the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Ornithological Society and the Jerusalem Bird Observatory into the limelight. Bringing them attention and hopefully financial donations to help their environmental causes. In an article from the Associated Press, Ornithologist Amir Balaban stated,

“We’re moving into our adulthood, as an adult state we should be working on protecting our environment.”

He, of course, is referring to Israel as a nation moving into their adulthood. I believe we can apply that as citizens of a great country and global community. We should all be working on protecting our environment.

Photo Credit: belgianchocolate via Flickr under Creative Commons Liscense

Politically Free Environmental Science

Heidi Suydam — Sat, 03 May 2008 01:03:50 +0000

A recent report by NPR news tells of a teacher at Lewis County High School in Weston, West Virginia who is determined to teach Environmental Science and keep politics out of her classroom at the same time. Tiffany Litton holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science. She decided to forgo pursuing a career in law to become a high school teacher. Why? Her goal is simple. She wants her students to be better stewards of the environment and felt she could have a bigger impact as a teacher than a lawyer. “My science class is not the place to promote any agenda, its the place to promote facts…” states Miss Litton to NPR news when being interviewed for this story. She has won the trust of her students by respecting their views and not preaching to them. Encouraging even those students who hold a different view than her own, she has been known to award A’s to those who can bring a well researched counter argument to the table.

The students are listening and learning. One father (who happens to be a coal mining equipment distributor) candidly remarked that he does not want his daughter influenced and becoming one of those “tree huggers”. His daughter, a student of Miss Litton’s, respectfully comments that in her opinion her father’s generation does not understand the damage that has been done to the environment.

You’re Either with Us, or You’re with the CFLs

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:32:16 +0000

So, what’s the bigger danger to the American public: Al-Qaeda, or compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)?

If you follow the conservative punditry, online or off, it’s a tough call. Today’s (April 24) “Mallard Fillmore” comic strip is just the latest example of conservatives taking aim at these energy-saving bulbs, focusing primarily on the fact that CFLs contain mercury.

So, for Mallard Fillmore author Bruce Tinsley, Thomas Sowell, Rush Limbaugh (whose content is not publicly available) and the crowd at WorldNetDaily, let’s review the facts: