Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Caffeine Leads to Low Birth Weight

This article mentions a link between caffeine consumption in pregnant mothers and the birth weight of their babies. It is interesting and I liked the line at the bottom, "You have to be realistic because you can't ask people to stop taking caffeine" being part of a religion that bans coffee and tea consumption. I think it's interesting. What we eat and drink does not just effect us, but our future children as well. Be informed.


Read here

Monday, November 03, 2008

Sex on TV linked to Sex

This has to be obvious to most people, but watching TV shows that talk about and engage in sexual activity increases chances that teens themselves will engage in that activity. I've always felt that it's important not to shield kids from the world, but I think it is important to talk to them about consequences and to do ones best to try and not let them have unrealistic expectations about sexual activity. It's not going to make your life great, at all, and could lead to serious problems. Our behavior is learned. There's no doubt about that and parents need to get more involved. The article says teens watch on average 3 hours of TV a day. 

BPA linked to Sexual Dysfunction, Health Disorders

All of the major news outlets are promoting this story about how the chemical in hard plastic, such as Nalgene bottles, BPA, was recently declared to be more dangerous than previously thought by the FDA. I'm convinced that a great deal of disorders we face including cancers and behavioral disorders like bi-polar disorder, ADHD, Schizophrenia, as well as some of our allergies, etc might be linked to increased exposure of industrial chemicals. The recent BPA information supports that belief. I hope we can figure out how to make products that don't have scary side effects!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Good Speaker Coming to Campus

Matt Wald, the NY Times energy and climate change reporter, will be on campus on Oct 6. He will be speaking at 2pm in 238 HRCB on climate policy, and has also agreed to meet with students at 11am to talk about the issues. No room number yet, but i assume 238 HRCB.

BYU increasing conservation efforts

This article claims that BYU is increasing its conservation efforts. I was disappointed by the lack of coverage in the daily universe or coordination with sustainability groups on campus. It's good that some one at BYU is thinking about sustainability.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700258716,00.html?pg=1

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The Importance of Air Quality

The Importance of Air Quality

Air Pollution & Air Quality

Jamund Ferguson

September 11, 2008


Air quality is important to me.


As someone who regularly commutes on bicycle and public transportation I am reminded regularly of the effects of poor air quality on personal health. 


I remember in particular a summer in Seattle that was hot that I would ride my bike or take the bus to school. On one of those muggy afternoons I remember feeling nauseous  from the fumes of the many diesel buses lining the streets. It seemed too much to bear.


My routes would change based on heat and other factors so that I could experience the noticeably cleaner air just on the side streets. I know that in some ways the air probably was not that much cleaner, but in terms of the most obvious air pollution, riding a bike behind a diesel bus breathing heavily from the physical exertion is a sure way to recognize it. 


Air quality also became a factor on choosing where I might want to go to graduate school. Bellingham, Washington is known and frequently listed as one of the places in America with the best air quality. Bellingham, just 30 minutes south of the US-Canadian boarder is a gorgeous city with mountain views, streams and trees. They have a terrific environmental program and I sincerely considered going there both for the quality education and quality of life. Air quality is one factor I considered among numerous others that affected how I thought about the place. 


Serving a mission in England I am not scared of poor air quality. It is particularly noticeable when one blows his or her nose and notices the color: soot black. Dense cities seem to really struggle with air pollution. 


In land use planning the idea of smart growth promotes more mixed-use areas where commercial, industrial and residential areas all mingle. Combining these uses decreases the distances needed to travel to important areas and increases the residential density. More people in less space with less need to travel decreases many forms of pollution. It can be much more efficient for example to heat a large complex than to heat multiple small complexes with many more sources of heat loss. Many polluting activities can be reduced such as travel, heating or electricity usage overall. However, while density seems to reduce per capita pollution, the amount of pollution per geographic area would likely increase. If half the previously made trips were reduced by the new development, but ten times as many people lived in the community than did before you might see 5x as much pollution per block than you would have seen before even though the overall effect on the earth might be reduced. Visible and breathable signs of air pollution may not measure the whole effect. Pollution per capita might be a more accurate measure. in that measure China might not be any worse at polluting than the United States, but it is more visible because the pollution is spread out over a greater amount of space. In that sense in order to reduce air pollution one may want to live in a place that feels and probably is more polluted.


Bibliography

1. Money Magazine. Top 25 Cleanest Air. Sep 10, 2008.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Poor Fuel Economy Standards Hurt GM, US

General Motors just posted its third largest loss in 100 years.

Their aggressive strategy of promoting large gas guzzlers turned out to be a losing bet.

As Toyota's fortunes continue to rise, though they are based in a country with some of the highest fuel economy standards in the world, one wonders what a little bit of governmental regulation could have done to preserve jobs and the economic force of General Motors in this country.

References:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=avNFZcLvn_5A&refer=home
http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/a/lighttrucks_2.htm

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Final Paper - CEP 498 - Rough Draft

Jamund Ferguson
CEP 498
Sustainability, Climate Change, and Communication
10 June 2008

Introduction

I have argued in previous papers that air quality and green building were not the most important issues in promoting Sustainability. What about climate change? What is “Sustainability” and where does climate change fit into the discussion? I hope to look at the question using many of the perspectives of those who participated in our speaker series as well as literature we read for class and other sources. Climate change has an important role to play in the sustainability movement, but its resolution is not synonymous with the sustainability movement.

We generally understand climate change as affecting social, environmental, and economic issues. For example the social factor is evident because of the flooding that is expected to come with climate change that could displace millions of homes1. The Environment is being directly impacted by humans and animals would be asked to move, plant species will have less of a chance to survive, and water tables continue to fall. Economic issues are closely tied in with the above two. Falling water tables means it becomes more difficult to grow food leading to increased food prices to name one of many related issues. Cooling costs will rise dramatically with global warming. Many examples can be made to make the case the climate change is a sustainability issue, but it is not the only sustainability issue.

Opportunities For Leadership


David Orr pleaded for governmental leadership in the sustainability movement in a recent interview with TreeHugger magazine.
“I think there is no such thing here as cheap solutions or end-runs around the way the world works. We are going to have to balance the carbon books, balance the nitrogen books, and build a world that is a lot fairer than what we have at present. My sense is that it is going to be a tough thing. That raises issues: ‘well what do you tell the public?’ Gustave Speth, the dean of the School Forestry at Yale, refers to a lot of this stuff as "happy talk." There is a lot of happy talk out there that is premised on the belief that you can't tell the public the bad news because it’ll scare them and they'll not do anything, or they will fall into despair. That wasn't the strategy that Winston Churchill had in 1940;
Churchill told the British people that he didn't have anything to offer them but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. He didn't say, "hey this is a great opportunity for urban renewal in London and we can beat Nazism at a profit." I think there's a requirement for leadership now in this country at the very top of the government, certainly in the next presidency, to tell the truth, to tell the American public that this in fact is a global crisis. We have to lead it. Time is short.”

It is absolutely essential that leadership come from the top. Senators from coal-producing states who are supposed to fight for their constituents are not going to turn on them (from short-term economic perspective) in supporting a climate change bill without strong leadership from the President both selling this plan to the public and strongly encouraging congress to pass such a bill.

Fiction author, Barbara Kingsolver wrote about why she moved her family from the city to a small farm in “A Good Farmer” published in The Nation magazine, “The values I longed to give my children--honesty, cooperativeness, thrift, mental curiosity, physical competence-were intrinsic in my agrarian childhood, where the community organized itself around a sustained effort of meeting people’s needs These value, I knew, would not flow naturally from an aggressive consumer culture devoted to the sustained effort of inventing and engorging people’s wants”. She goes on to say, “I‘ve never loved any earthly thing so much [as the new farm].3”
Her comments remind us of the role that our upbringing can have on what we ultimately do. We can promote a sustainable world by teaching young people values that will outlive the current world we live in and take them to a more just, equitable, and humane society.

Other opportunities for leadership exist at the education level David Orr, in his famous essay “ What is Education For?”4 , laments, “Students hear about global responsibility while being educated in institutions that often invest their financial weight in the most irresponsible things. The lessons being taught are those of hypocrisy and ultimately despair. Students learn, without anyone ever saying it, that they are helpless to overcome the frightening gap between ideals and reality.”

He goes on to suggest the solution:
“What is desperately needed are faculty and administrators who provide role models of integrity, care, thoughtfulness, and institutions that are capable of embodying ideals wholly and completely in all of their operations.”

Grace Crunican ‘s council on leadership at our final lecture series was terrific. We need philosophers and visionaries to show us where we need to be, but we need planners and policy makers to show us a path we can take to get there. They are the bridge builders leading us from are current position to a more sustainable future. In order for them to do that, she said, they would need to hold onto what they know needs to happen, but be willing to work within the current framework and offer paths to the future that would accommodate those who are stuck in the past.

What is Climate Change’s Role in the Sustainability Movement?


Climate change has a very special role to play in the sustainability movement. It brings diverse parties together by providing a rallying point for them to flock to and unite under the banner of sustainability. It is the awareness and general acceptance of climate change that has really been the impetus for our newfound sustainability movement. Other factors such as 9/11, peak oil, poor air/water quality, oil spills, the o-zone hole, and high gasoline prices have contributed, but I believe climate change is the primary motivator.

This acceptance of climate change as a real problem is a perfect point for many parties to latch on to. Businesses want to get involved to preserve natural capital, environmental groups use climate change to point out a large array of improvements that can be made in the natural world, social leaders use climate changes effects to highlight problems facing island nations and other economically depressed areas.

The real opportunity for leadership in the sustainability movement today lies in working together. Make friends with former foes; Rally around common causes; Be willing to use the language and style of your opponent to get to know their perspective and hopefully find a way to show them yours. Climate change is especially suited to this kind of approach to problem solving.

While working together may seem like an obvious approach it may not be so intuitive for groups that have not previously worked together on other issues. This was pointed out forcefully by an audience member who lectured Kathy Fletcher from People for Puget Sound with the question, “Why don’t you work with the agriculture and forestry communities!?” Kathy Fletcher’s response indicated there was much more work to be done here, but that it was probably a good idea. The following week Karen Wolf from King County expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity she had to work with public health officials on the HealthScape initiative, a community design project.6 She said she had little idea that public health advocates might want to get involved in environmental initiatives, but that with nearly all issues to do with the environment, there are a large number of groups focusing on related projects that might be able to add something to your work.

The issue of climate change shows a particular ability to draw in many interest groups. Business leaders, educators, poverty advocates, transportation planners, environmental justice groups, economically-minded politicians, wilderness users, and more have a vested interest in responding to climate change.

Doing My Part

I will be studying Public Policy for my Master’s Degree at Brigham Young University located in a State that gives bush the highest approval rating in the country7. It is a bit worrying. I have already gotten in touch with the campus recycling team and the Campus Democrats. I look forward to working with Gary Bryner, a professor that advises the Utah government on climate change issues and is currently doing research about lessons we can learn from European climate change and environmental policy.

A big allure for me attending Brigham Young University and not a school where most of the students share my views is the opportunity to learn from and share my experiences with others. Surrounding oneself with people that think and act and talk the same way creates contention and limits learning at the day of decision. I learned that in England as a volunteer missionary working side-by-side with many people who had very different ideas than me. I was the pariah, the outcast. It was patronizing.” You are really nice, for a liberal” was the top compliment I would get from other volunteers who did not share my background. Those trying experiences challenged my views and strengthened them. An unintended outcome was that I left with a greater understanding of the fears and even the vocabulary of those with whom I disagreed. This appreciation for their concerns improved my ability to effectively communicate important ideas in a way that made sense to them. Disintegration and an unwillingness to learn from others might result in an arrogant assumption of ones own superiority, but listening and building unity leaves a refreshing air where someone not formerly supporting your idea might say, “I can see why that would be important” or “I can see where you are coming from.” Building a constructive dialogue between conservative and liberal thinkers is something I want to accomplish in my next adventure in eduction.

Conclusions

While climate change remains an important rallying point that all parties can rally behind. I do not think we can “solve” climate change. It is too big of a problem to tackle, too much has already happened and the effects are already taking their toll. Unity and goodwill are not going to prevent dramatic loss of snowfall in our mountains, melting glaciers, lowering water tables, and continual species decline. As sustainabilists we must not fret over stopping global warming in its tracks: it is already far too late.

There is something we can do. By working together and building bridges with movements of every kind we can effectively adapt to our changing future and live in a much more sustainable way. By working together, focusing on the things we can change we will build a better future and a better world.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Records For Sale

- Hardcore 7" -




carry on - roll with the punches (420 FEST Press 93/?)





carry on - stabbed in the face (black jitsu records)



carry on - the line is drawn (black youngblood records)




outbreak - you make us sick (orange /770)
outbreak - you make us sick (yellow/green /340)
outbreak - you make us sick (red /1100)
Pressing Info



anger regiment - aces and eights (red /700)
anger regiment - aces and eights (red /700)
anger regiment - aces and eights (black /300)
Pressing Info



the distance / outbreak / some kind of hate (clear / 700)
the distance / outbreak / some kind of hate (clear/ 700)
the distance / outbreak / some kind of hate (yellow / 300)
Pressing Info



american nightmare - s/t/ EP (blue /500)
Pressing Info




american nightmare - the sun isn't getting any brighter (black vinyl, silver labels / 1000?)
Pressing Info







the miracle mile - the future history (clear w/stamp /110)
Pressing Info



this is hell - (purple swirl / 259)
this is hell - (purple swirl / 259)
Pressing Info



dangers - (black with plastic electricity cover / ???)



betrayed - addiction (white / 250)
Pressing Info



killing the dream - i rewrote it (red / 500)
Pressing Info



have heart / what counts (yellow / 400)
Pressing Info



champion - come out swinging (german edition clear vinyl / 357)
champion - come out swinging (german edition clear vinyl / 357)
champion - count our numbers (white vinyl /700?)
champion - count our numbers (posi fest green vinyl 98/116)
champion - count our numbers (we're still not in this alone 86/116)
Pressing Info




the answer - you had your chance (sink with cali '04 cover 45/50)
the answer - you had your chance (record release cover 50/80)
the answer - you had your chance (record release cover 59/80)
the answer - 1st 7" record release (green vinyl 28/100)
the answer - 1st 7" record release (dark green marble vinyl 75/100)
the answer - you had your chance (champion can suck it cover 16/25)
the answer - getting even (record release 65/75)
the answer - getting even (record release 43/75)
the answer - getting even (record release 44/75)
the answer - getting even (summer tour press on blue 192/200)
Pressing Info





Where The Sidewalk Ends - Sink With Cali Press



throwdown - drive me dead (pink /300)
Pressing Info



stay gold - caught up in the moment (orange / 330)
Pressing Info



final word - fools like you (blue / 350)
Pressing Info



bane / adamantium - split 7" (grey / 550)
Pressing Info



buried alive / reach the sky - split 7" (blue / 400)
Pressing Info



death by stereo - s/t 7" (green / 1100)
Pressing Info



death by stereo / ensign (clear brown / 480)
Pressing Info



suicide file - s/t 7" (purple / 380)
suicide file - things falls apart (white / 550)
Pressing Info





over my dead body - no runners (blue / 440)
Pressing Info



horror show - the holiday ep (red / 1000)
Pressing Info



damage - final (grey & red swirl / 345)
Pressing Info



death threat / over my dead body (green /700)
Pressing Info



breaker breaker - s/t 7" (red / 350)
Pressing Info



hope conspiracy - file 03 (black engraved / 1500)
Pressing Info



last priest - we all failed (clear / 150)
Pressing Info



panic - dying for it (black / 1500)
Pressing Info


More To Pride - This is life (clear / 150)
More To Pride - This is life (clear / 150)
More To Pride - This is life (blue / 755)
More To Pride - This is life (blue / 755)
Pressing Info



Severed Head of State - Dedem Das Seine



The Promise - My True Love (black / 1508)
Pressing Info



Nick Fury - S/T 7"



Allegiance - S/7" (black / ??)



Allegiance - S/7" (yellow / 200)
Pressing Info



Faded Grey - Army of kids 7"



Blue Monday - What's Done Is Done 7"



Indecision / Shutdown - Youth Crew '95 7"



Blacklisted - S/T 7"



Modern Life Is War - S/T 7" (modern life is war records black /500)



Show of Hands - A New Day Not Forgotten 7" (black / 1100)
Pressing Info



Ten Yard Fight - Demo 2005



Over My Dead Body / Swindle



Time Flies - Can't Change The Past EP



Reach The Sky - Open Roads, Broken Dreams EP



Internal Affairs - Casualty of the Core 7"



Internal Affairs / Allegiance - Split 7" (Gold / 400)
Pressing Info



Ten Yard Fight - Hardcore Pride 7"


Burden - Strength of Conviction 7"


Shai Hulud - A Profound Hatred of Man


Against Me - Acoustic EP (Aqua /Tan / 362)
Pressing Info



S.O.S. - S/T 7" (pink/ 200)
Pressing Info


Terror - S/T 7" (Clear / ???)
Terror “s/t” Don't Need Your Help/Push It Away – Takeover Records - Clear Vinyl


Drug Test - Needle In Your Neck (yellow /)


Donnybrook / Piece By Piece - There Goes The Neighborhood (clear / )


Piece By Piece - Written In Blood (White / 200?)


Bread And Water / Reason Of Insanity - Split 7" (Grey Marble / )


Cursed - Hell Comes Home (Clear/ )


In Control - S/T 7"" (red / 600)
Pressing Info



Late Night Revenge - Solo On A Saturday Night 7" (420 FEST Edition)
Late Night Revenge - Solo On A Saturday Night 7" (Gold / ???)




Go It Alone - Vancouver Gold (Gold / ???)



Killing The Dream - S/T 7" (Dark Grey / 300)
Pressing Info



Blue Monday - War Wounds (Blue / ???)



Spitting Teeth - Legacy of Cruciality (Blue 2nd press/100 )
Pressing Info



Coalition - (Tour Cover / Blue #9/20)



Ceremony - Ruined (Orange / 800)



Count Me Out (Tour Press #78/110)





Stay Gold Record Release (Clear 62/75)



Greyskul / Drogheda (Green / ???)



Final Fight - S/T 7" (Yellow / ???)



The First Step - Demo 2001 (Blue / 100)
Pressing Info




Over and Out (Jamund / Alfred)



Blue Monday - What's Done Is Done (Sink With Cali Cover 16/38)



Try Harder -



Affront - Fallen Stars - Phyte - (Grey / ??)



Affront - S/T 7" - Propane Existence - (Green/ ??)



Mental - Yo! (Pink / 500)
Pressing Info



Get Real (Green / 200)
Pressing Info



Find Him and Kill Him - You Can't F With The Kids (Clear / 500)
Pressing Info



Eyes Shut (Clear / ???)



The Warriors - Family Values (Blue #30/100)



Ruiner - What Could Possibly Go Right? 7" (Limited Edition Black Vinyl)
Pressing Info



Dangers - S/T 7" (Sweet Cover)



The Damage Done - S/T 7"" (Red / 176)
Pressing Info



The Damage Done - Never Wash Away (Yellow / 350)
Pressing Info



One King Down - Gravity Wins Again (Red / 300)



Shai Hulud / Boy Sets Fire - Crush 'Em All (Cool Packaging)



Left With Nothing - Wishing in Reverse (Blue / 300)
Left With Nothing - Wishing in Reverse (Blue / 300)



With Or Without You (Sink With Cali Press)



Last Man Standing / Everything Went Black (Yellow / ???)



- Hardcore 12" -


Indecision - To Live And Die In New York LP



lights out - overload (Blue / 300)
Pressing Info



another breath - not now, not ever (Red / 18)
another breath - not now, not ever (Black / 318)
Pressing Info





terror - lowest of the low (Gold / 1000)
Pressing Info



throwdown - beyond repair (Black / 1106)
Pressing Info



in control - another year (Blue / 330)
Pressing Info



count me out - 110 (Yellow /331)
Pressing Info



Forensics - Things To Do When You Should Be Dead Anyway (White / 200)
http://www.trashartrecords.com/releases.html">Pressing Info



Blue Monday - Rewritten (Blue/Green /250)
Pressing Info



In My Eyes - The Difference Between



Champion - Promises Kept- (Maroon / 300)
Pressing Info


Converge - You Fail Me (White/Clear Cross / 895)
Converge - You Fail Me (Red / 2980)
Converge - Unloved and Weeded Out (Black)
Pressing Info



As Friends Rust
Pressing Info



Integrity - Humanity Is The Devil - (#983/1479)



Trial - 10"



Trial - Are These Our Lives (White / 300)
Pressing Info



Bloodpact / Varsity - Split 12"



One King Down - Bloodlust Revenge



Over My Dead Body - rusty medals and broken badges - (Purple / 286)
Pressing Info



Anti Product - The deafening Silence of grinding gears (Red)



Verse - Rebuild (Yellow/823)
Pressing Info



Faded Grey - A Quiet Time of Desperation (Grey / 339)
Pressing Info



The Aborted Society Compilation (Red / 500)
Features Whorehouse of Representatives, Toxic Narcotic, Riot/Clone, Phalanx, Poxy, Contaminated, Hippies in Flames, Axiom, Shoot the Hostages, etc.
Pressing Info




Genuine LP (#373/500)
Featuring Greg Bennick's "Still Straight in '98"



Hardesty - (#83/200)



To See You Broken - (Record Release Goodness)



September - LP



Himsa - "Courting Tragedy and Disaster" - Picture Disc (Jamund / 666)
Himsa - "Courting Tragedy and Disaster" - Test Press
Pressing info





Rambo - Wall of Death The System



-Indie 12"-


The Faint - Blank-Wave Arcade



Atmosphere - God Loves Ugly - 3X LP


Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place


Mike Watt - Ball Hog or Tugboat - Blue Vinyl (limited)


Liars - Fins To Make Us More Fish Like 10"


Cex - Being Ridden - 2X LP



Adult. - Anxiety Always - 2X LP
Adult. - mis-interpreted (remixes)





Sex Positions LP (White / Screenprinted Cover / Limited Edition)


Hint Hint - Sex Is Everything



Black Heart Procession - #2



Engine Down - S/T



!!! - Me and Guiliani Down By the School Yard



United States of Electronica - LP (Sold Out)
Pressing Info




Goldenboy with Miss Kitten - Or - 2X LP



-Tapes-


American Nightmare - Demo
Allegiance - Demo
Legit - Demo
Heartriot - Demo
Scathed - Demo
Knife Fight- Demo
Piece By Piece - Demo
Say Goodbye - Demo
The Damage Done - Demo
Harbinger - Demo
Drawn And Quartered - Seattle Death Metal -Demo
Fortunate Son - Demo
Break Through - Demo
Break The Chain - Demo
November Group - Demo
Fighting Chance - Demo
The Dedication - Demo
In Stride - Demo 2004 (sealed)
Champion - Demo 1999
Champion - Demo 2000 (Limited One Man Jam edition)
Contingent - Demo
Contingent - Demo
Cross The Line - Demo
A Death For Every Sin - Demo

More Pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamund/tags/demo

-Shirts-
American Nightmare - M


Sinking Ships - Reverse Printing - L


Champion - Drug Free - L



The Promise - Believer - L Hoodie


Terror - Life and Death - L



Allegiance - California Straight Edge - L (Great Shirt for Fat Edge Kids Like Me!!!)


Blue Monday - L


Lights Out - Calfornia - L


Killing The Dream - L


Saves The Day - Planes



Dangers - L


Sage Francis- "Natalie Portman Has a Stalker" - XL


In My Eyes - Goin' Back To Cali - L (Worn)


Champion - Hoodie - L/XL


Modern Life Is War- My Love, My Way - L


Morrissey - World Tour 2002 - L (awkward shirt!)



Thanks


More Pictures of Everything Here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamund/sets/72157605305943644/