Clipmarks | abailart's 'oil' clips

Kids brains develop dramatically with intake of omega oil

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:37:41 GMT

clipped by: uberkiwi
clipper's remarks: This backs up studies of child behaviour in Europe and the UK showing dramatic reductions in ADHD, and general mental well being, of kids taking EPA supplements.

Clip Source: www.smh.com.au

Scans on four British children who took an omega oil supplement for three months showed their brains developed dramatically - by the equivalent of three years - over that period.

The four children in the pilot study on the effects of diet on young brains were aged between eight and 13 and were classified as overweight. They took two capsules a day of a supplement called VegEPA, which contains a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, found in fish, flaxseed oil and sunflower oil. They were also encouraged to cut down on fatty snacks and to exercise more.

After three months the children's reading age had advanced by more than a year, their handwriting was neater and they paid more attention in class. The scans showed an increase in nerve fibres in their brain, said the lead researcher

"It means you have more connections and greater density of nerve cells, in the same way a tree grows more branches," said Professor Puri

Tags: children, child, health, kids, diet

"The Post-American World."

Sat, 24 May 2008 10:05:04 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

The growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and many others—is the great story of our time, and one that will reshape the world. The tallest buildings, biggest dams, largest-selling movies, and most advanced cell phones are all being built outside the United States.

Fareed Zakaria -"The Post-American World."

In Sunday's New York Times, Thomas Friedman writes that "It baffles me that President Bush would rather go to Saudi Arabia twice in four months and beg the Saudi king for an oil price break than ask the American people to drive 55 miles an hour, buy more fuel-efficient cars or accept a carbon tax or gasoline tax that might actually help free us from what he called our 'addiction to oil'.”

“the rise of the rest” — the Chinas, the Indias, the Brazils and even smaller nonstate actors — is creating a world where many other countries are slowly moving up to America’s level of economic clout and self-assertion, in every realm.

Tags: world, america, superpower

The 10 big stories the major news media refused to cover over the last year

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 01:24:35 GMT

clipped by: frenchcanmonkey
clipper's remarks: I never cease to be amazed at how important findings can be cut and be replaced by entertainment news. Check the link for the other headlines as well.

Clip Source: www.toledocitypaper.com

The 10 big stories the major news media refused to cover over the last year

02. Halliburton Charged With Selling Nuclear Technology to Iran

Halliburton, the notorious US energy company, sold key nuclear reactor components to a private Iranian oil company called Oriental Oil Kish as recently as 2005, using offshore subsidiaries to circumvent US sanctions, journalist Jason Leopold reported on GlobalResearch.ca, the Web site of a Canadian research group. He cited sources intimate with the business dealings of Halliburton and Kish.

The story is particularly juicy because Vice President Dick Cheney, who now claims to want to stop Iran from getting nukes, was president of Halliburton in the mid-1990s, at which time he may have advocated business dealings with Iran, in violation of US law.

08. Pentagon Exempt From Freedom of Information Act

In 2005, the Department of Defense pushed for and was granted exemption from Freedom of Information Act requests, a crucial law that allows journalists and watchdogs access to federal documents. The stated reason for this dramatic and dangerous move? FOIA is a hindrance to protecting national security. The ruling could hamper the efforts of groups like the ACLU, which relied on FOIA to uncover more than 30,000 documents on the US military's torture of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantánamo Bay, including the Abu Ghraib torture scandal.

Tags: media, journalism

No more power bills -ever

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:10:55 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

HYDROGEN HOUSE: This unassuming modular home in suburban New Jersey runs on solar power and stored hydrogen.
©DAVID BIELLO

EAST AMWELL, N.J.—Mike Strizki has not paid an electric, oil or gas bill—nor has he spent a nickel to fill up his Mercury Sable—in nearly two years. Instead, the 51-year-old civil engineer makes all the fuel he needs using a system he built in the capacious garage of his home, which employs photovoltaic (PV) panels to turn sunlight into electricity that is harnessed in turn to extract hydrogen from tap water.

Although the device cost $500,000 to construct, and it is unlikely it will ever pay off financially (even with today's skyrocketing oil and gas prices), the civil engineer says it is priceless in terms of what it does buy: freedom from ever paying another heating or electric bill, not to mention keeping a lid on pollution, because water is its only by-product.

Tags: hydrogen, power bills, solar power

It's official: Iraq's oil belongs to US corporations

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:42:07 GMT

clipped by: enbar
clipper's remarks: According to commentary from the Asia Times Online, the newly mandated "Federal oil council" of Iraq, which will control the country's energy resources, is going to consist largely of U.S. oil executives.

Clip Source: www.atimes.com

US's Iraq oil grab is a done deal

US President George W Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney might as well declare the Iraq war over and out. As far as they - and the humongous energy interests they defend - are concerned,

only now is the mission really accomplished. More than half a trillion dollars spent and perhaps half a million Iraqis killed have come down to this.

On Monday, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's cabinet in Baghdad approved the draft of the new Iraqi oil law. The government regards it as "a major national project". The key point of the law is that Iraq's immense oil wealth (115 billion barrels of proven reserves, third in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iran) will be under the iron rule of a fuzzy "Federal Oil and Gas Council" boasting "a panel of oil experts from inside and outside Iraq". That is, nothing less than predominantly US Big Oil executives.

Tags: oil, energy, iraq, middle_east, war, politics, bushies

Chocolate Cake In 5 Mins! A new take...

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:23:46 GMT

clipped by: carrerinyes
clipper's remarks: Clipped for the photos...!

Clip Source: www.dizzy-dee.com

Chocolate Cake In 5 Minutes!

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Instructions:

Mix flour, sugar and cocoa:

Spoon in 1 egg

Pour in milk and oil, and mix well

Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)

Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug

Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!

The key to oil independence is a new electrical grid

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:17:49 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: It seems that with alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar, the United States has the potential means to substantially reduce our dependence on oil - especially once plug-in cars are on the market.

But until we substantially upgrade our nation's electrical grid with modern technology that will enable the energy created by these sources to be transmitted intelligently around the county, their impact will be limited.

It's going to take a greater commitment from Congress to jump start this. Making it happen will provide a huge boost to our economy, environment and political leverage with the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela and more.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.

The grid today, according to experts, is a system conceived 100 years ago to let utilities prop each other up, reducing blackouts and sharing power in small regions. It resembles a network of streets, avenues and country roads.

“We need an interstate transmission superhighway system,” said Suedeen G. Kelly, a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“The windiest sites have not been built, because there is no way to move that electricity from there to the load centers,” he said.

Tags: alternative energy, grid, electricity, wind, solar

Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:13:10 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: So, while it's good to have the alternative (and to recognize the innovation it represents), bioplastics aren't quite ready to save us from the paper or plastic debate.

Paper bags or plastic bags:
the conclusion
Both paper and plastic bags require lots and lots of resources and energy, and proper recycling requires due diligence from both consumer and municipal waste collector or private recycling company, so there are a lot of variables that can lead to low recycling rates.

Ultimately, neither paper nor plastic bags are the best choice; we think choosing reusable canvas bags instead is the way to go. From an energy standpoint, according to this Australian study, canvas bags are 14 times better than plastic bags and 39 times better than paper bags, assuming that canvas bags get a good workout and are used 500 times during their life cycle. Happy shopping!

Clip Source: www.treehugger.com

Paper or plastic bags: which is better?

It seems like it should be an easy choice, but there's an incredible number of details and inputs hidden in each bag. From durability and reusability to life cycle costs, there's a lot more to each bag than meet the eye. Let's take a look behind the bags.

Where do brown paper bags come from?

Paper comes from trees -- lots and lots of trees.

And that's just to make the paper; don't forget about the energy inputs -- chemical, electrical, and fossil fuel-based -- used to transport the raw material, turn the paper into a bag and then transport the finished paper bag all over the world.

Where do paper shopping bags go when you're done with them?

How are plastic bags produced?

Unlike paper bags, plastic bags are typically made from oil, a non-renewable resource.

Plastics are a by-product of the oil-refining process, accounting for about four percent of oil production around the globe

How does plastic bag recycling work?

What about biodegradable plastic bags?

Tags: recycling

New Survivalists Prepare for End of Oil

Mon, 26 May 2008 09:48:27 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

BUSKIRK, N.Y. (AP) — A few years ago, Kathleen Breault was just another suburban grandma, driving countless hours every week, stopping for lunch at McDonald's, buying clothes at the mall, watching TV in the evenings.

That was before Breault heard an author talk about the bleak future of the world's oil supply. Now, she's preparing for the world as we know it to disappear.

Breault cut her driving time in half. She switched to a diet of locally grown foods near her upstate New York home and lost 70 pounds. She sliced up her credit cards, banished her television and swore off plane travel. She began relying on a wood-burning stove.

Convinced the planet's oil supply is dwindling and the world's economies are heading for a crash, some people around the country are moving onto homesteads, learning to live off their land, conserving fuel and, in some cases, stocking up on guns they expect to use to defend themselves and their supplies from desperate crowds of people who didn't prepare.

Tags: survivalism, oil, end

Crieky! That's a HUGE Windmill!

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 22:08:42 GMT

clipped by: Tylast

Clip Source: www.treehugger.com

It's a vision of a magnetically levitated wind turbine that can generate one gigawatt of energy (enough to power 750,000 homes). This is the device proposed by a new Arizona-based company, MagLev Wind Turbine Technologies. The company claims that it can deliver clean power for less than cent per kilowatt hour using this wind turbine.

Web site: MagLev Wind Turbine Technologies

Clip Source: magturbine.com

The Maglev Wind Turbine Power Plant contributes to the reduction of pollution by eliminating our dependency of fossil fueled power plants. Since carbon dioxide is absorbed by trees, our Maglev Wind Turbine Power Plant can offset as much as 1,750,000 acres of forest. Another analogy used, is to equate the energy generated by our Power Plant to the amount generated by a barrel of oil. Maglev Wind Turbine Power Plant can generate the same amount of energy annually as 5,475,000 barrels of oil.

Tags: arizona, az, eco, inovation, technology, wind, maglev

Top 15 Amazingly Fat Cats

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:55:14 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.neatorama.com

Top 15 Amazingly Fat Cats.

Why do we love fat cats? Duh! Because they’re so cuddly, cute and fat, of course!

13. Riley, a 24-Lb. Maine Coon.

12. Tiddles of Paddington Station.

10. Leo, the World’s Longest Cat.

9. Sassy aka "Munchkin".

8. The Dwallibee’s Kailee.

The Dwallibees of Lino Lake, Minnesota, has a 5-year old cat "Kailee" who weighs 40 lbs or about the weight of a 4-year-old. The cat is named after former Minnesota Viking football player, Kailee Wong (who is, of course, a linebacker).

6. Mikesch, a German Fat Cat.

5. Iggy, a Fat Cat from Missouri.

4. Katy, a Russian Fat Cat.

2. Tubcat.

1. Lee Raymond, Big Oil Fat Cat.

And the fattest cat of them all is … Lee Raymond of ExxonMobile! Lee Raymond, the retiring CEO and Chairman of the world’s largest oil company got a retirement package worth $400 million, one of the most generous retirement packages ever.

Tags: cats, humor

Green Crude

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:52:44 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Sapphire Energy turns algae into 'green crude' for fuel

A San Diego company said Wednesday that it could turn algae into oil, producing a green-colored crude yielding ultra-clean versions of gasoline and diesel without the downsides of biofuel production.

The year-old company, called Sapphire Energy, uses algae, sunlight, carbon dioxide and non-potable water to make "green crude" that it contends is chemically equivalent to the light, sweet crude oil that has been fetching more than $130 a barrel in New York futures trading.

Chief Executive Jason Pyle said that the company's green crude could be processed in existing oil refineries and that the resulting fuels could power existing cars and trucks just as today's more polluting versions of gasoline and diesel do.

"What we're talking about is something that is radically different," Pyle said. "We really look at this as a paradigm change."

Why we need high oil prices

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:11:27 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: I know this sounds crazy, but i honestly believe that high oil prices in the short term (1-5 years) is a very good thing if it forces us to find alternatives. I am definitely concerned that if oil prices drop temporarily, the momentum behind alternatives such as wind and solar will die off - leaving us exactly where we are today - way too dependent on oil and way to harmful to our environment.

Clip Source: www.ft.com

If the Democratic party were correct about speculation and gouging, it should be demanding a Nobel Prize for futures traders and oil titans. They have done more for the planet than Al Gore, making the pump price of petrol so unthinkably expensive (almost half as dear as in Europe!) that the country has started to economise. Americans are driving less and buying smaller cars.

If ever there were a case for the maxim, get prices right, this is it. The way to curb carbon emissions is to add the environmental cost of carbon to the price of energy. The current oil price offers a good opportunity: when it falls (as it probably will) a carbon tax could be used to set a floor, making the transition to correctly priced energy much easier.

Tags: alternative energy, oil, politics

Why can't the U.S. be more like Varese?

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:34:26 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: If this town in Italy can be 100% dependent on renewable power, why can't towns/cities in the U.S. do the same?

It really makes me angry to live in a country that holds itself out as a world leader, yet we need to look at small towns in Italy to see examples of the Power Revolution. It frightens me that Big Oil stands in the way of the U.S. leading the Revolution.

Clip Source: www.metaefficient.com

Italian Town Runs On 100% Renewable Power

Varese became the first municipality in Europe to get 100% of its power from renewable energy sources six years ago. It now generates three times more electricity than the people living in Varese need and there are plans in the pipeline for even more renewables.

Tags: alternative energy, renewable energy, oil, power, varese, wind, solar

Clipmarks | abailart's 'oil' clips

Top 25 Censored Stories of 2007

Kids brains develop dramatically with intake of omega oil

"The Post-American World."

The 10 big stories the major news media refused to cover over the last year

02. Halliburton Charged With Selling Nuclear Technology to Iran

08. Pentagon Exempt From Freedom of Information Act

No more power bills -ever

It's official: Iraq's oil belongs to US corporations

Chocolate Cake In 5 Mins! A new take...

Chocolate Cake In 5 Minutes!

The key to oil independence is a new electrical grid

Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know

New Survivalists Prepare for End of Oil

Crieky! That's a HUGE Windmill!

Top 15 Amazingly Fat Cats

Top 15 Amazingly Fat Cats.

13. Riley, a 24-Lb. Maine Coon.

12. Tiddles of Paddington Station.

10. Leo, the World’s Longest Cat.

9. Sassy aka "Munchkin".

8. The Dwallibee’s Kailee.

6. Mikesch, a German Fat Cat.

5. Iggy, a Fat Cat from Missouri.

4. Katy, a Russian Fat Cat.

2. Tubcat.

1. Lee Raymond, Big Oil Fat Cat.

Green Crude

Sapphire Energy turns algae into 'green crude' for fuel

Why we need high oil prices

Why can't the U.S. be more like Varese?

Italian Town Runs On 100% Renewable Power