14 Nov

the win-win scenario that we’ll lose

If there were some way to reduce world government spending by hundreds of billions of dollars a year, while significantly reducing CO2 emissions and igniting the alternative energy market, you’d think the government would be all over that, right?

Not so fast:

Call to Stop Fossil Fuel Subsidy

People think that libertarians don’t care about the environment or only care about money. The truth is that libertarians are keenly aware of how money motivates people and businesses. If you subsidize something, you encourage more of it and you hurt free market alternatives that would likely be better.

Instead of doing the sensible thing, I expect we will continue to subsidize bad industries while at the same time subsidizing the clean industries, but not so much that the bad industries get worried and put pressure on their congressman.

Fossil fuels would be long gone by now if not for government intervention, keeping them artificially cheap and delaying the time when renewable sources will become highly competitive.

10 Jun

green jobs creating themselves

Green collar job creation ‘outstripped traditional sectors in US’

“America’s emerging clean energy economy created more than twice as many new jobs as more traditional industries in the years leading up to the economic downturn, a new study released today claimed.”

Yet more proof that all we need to do is stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industries with tax breaks and subsidies and the green revolution will happen not only on its own, but better than it would with government interference.

With the government leading the way, we’ll end up with inefficient ethanol from corn, hydrogen, “clean coal”, and other crap promoted by the companies that contribute heavily to political campaigns.

Nice to see what happens when you leave people alone to create their own jobs.

13 Mar

asking better questions

I was reading this story today about kids in Arkansas mistakenly drinking windshield wiper fluid:

10 kids drink windshield wiper fluid at daycare

I’ve read a few articles about this and read a few feedback forums to read people comments and people are asking lots of questions, like:

  • How could someone be so incompetent as to put windshield wiper fluid in the fridge?
  • How could someone not notice the difference between kool-aid and wiper fluid?
  • Why is such a dimwit working in a daycare center?
  • Why don’t we have laws to protect against stuff like this happening?
  • Why was windshield wiper fluid allowed within 5 miles of a daycare center?

Read More

25 Apr

shampoo and soap

I like to promote companies and products that surprise and delight me and exceed my expectations in every way and here’s one in the shampoo and soap department, called Dr. Bronner’s Shikakai Soap. These are the same folks that make the legendary castille soaps for decades.

Features:

  • Truly organic (food grade)
  • 100% post-consumer recycled bottle (a rarity)
  • Certified fair trade
  • Ingredients you can pronounce
  • No petroleum derivatives that like you find in most pseudo-green products
  • Made by a great company that actively fights to make the world a better place, not just by selling great products

And to save the best part for last, the product is outstanding and smells great. I’ve been using their traditional soaps for decades as well as their lip balms and lotions, but the traditional soaps have tended to be drying, especially as a face soap and shampoo, but this new product is fantastic.

They also have some new shaving cream and shampoo, but I have not yet tried either.