Without The Shedding of Wealth There is no Emission of Smoke

On January 3, 2010, In Congress, Domestic Policy, Economy, Environment, By Andrew Schwartz

In 1513, the Medici Pope Leo X was facing the likely possibility of a bankrupt Roman Catholic Church. The magnific building projects to bolster the church’s image were begun with no foresight to their long-term economic consequences, and the crusades into the Holy Land and other foreign proselytizing campaigns had drained the papal treasury. Christendom, as any centralized power is wont to do, had become indebted to her constituents and the world.

In order to combat the Holy Deficit, the Pope began to issue indulgences to the lowly sinners of the congregation in order to forgive them—not of their past transgressions, but of their future sins. Of course, this was not an act of spiritual altruism; forgiveness came at a tangible price, which was imposed on a progressive scale determined by one’s wealth and the atrocity of their sin. The Catholic Church had become so dogmatic and authoritative that unsuspecting and fearful Catholics bought into this scheme without question—to oppose this plan could have meant the eternal damnation of one’s earthly soul.

 

History, despite her eternal struggle for progress, has been ordained once again to repeat her orbit around the selfish desires of man. (more…)

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The Black Market of Incandescense

On September 11, 2009, In Domestic Policy, Environment, Uncategorized, By Andrew Schwartz

Hold on to your incandescent light bulbs! By 2012, all 100-watt “traditional” light bulbs will be phased out, and by 2014 all 60-watters must be kaput. The replacements will be the more energy-efficient and “eco-friendly” compact fluorescent light bulbs, currently at a store near you.

 

 

I put the words “eco-friendly” in sardonic quotations because of a recent incident in my own house. While I was away, my wife called informing me that one of our cats, Ivan, had knocked over our lamp. This nefarious and rambunctious act not only broke the glass shade surrounding the bulb, but the bulb itself. I asked her what kind of bulb it was, to which she responded that it was a new, environmentally conscious, energy saving, animal-and-nature-friendly, anti-global warming, stick-it-to-the-coal-company enabling, compact fluorescent bulb! (My words, not hers.)

Herein lies the problem: while these bulbs last about 3 years—according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)—they are infinitely more dangerous than a traditional bulb. As anyone who has broken a light bulb knows, all you must do is get a broom, watch your feet, sweep and throw away; repeat as necessary. However, this is NOT the case for the CFLs. The instructions for proper disposal on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website are atrociously complicated, not to mention potentially hazardous.

According to the EPA, here is the proper method of cleaning this “improved” technology in luminescence:

Step 1: Air out the room. Shut off the air conditioning or heater, Open all windows, and evacuate all pets and people. Don’t let ANYONE walk through the area on their way out.

Step 2: Clean-up. After leaving the house for at least 15 minutes, scoop up glass pieces and powder using cardboard and place the fragments in a hermetically sealed container (just pick them up if it is broken on a carpeted surface…). Use duct tape to pick up the remaining fine pieces. Wipe the affected areas with paper towels, and place them in the same hermetically sealed container. If any clothing, bedding has come in contact with the powder from the bulb, dispose of it in the prescribed manner (step 3). You may keep the clothes you wore to clean it up, provided you were careful enough not to make contact with the affected area. (It does not say if you must buy a new carpet; however, one can infer that it would be a good idea.)

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Ashley Judd’s Environmentalism

On February 19, 2009, In Environment, By Andrew Schwartz

Ashley Judd has been quite the activist lately. She was very vocal in her criticism of Sarah Palin for the way in which the governor hunts animals (as if one way of putting a bullet through an animal can ultimately be less or more humane than another). Most recently, she has spoken out against the Mountaintop Removal (MTR) coal mining process. She and approximately 500 other activists stood outside the capitol building in Frankfort, KY to support legislation that virtually eliminates this practice in the Bluegrass State.

 

Mountaintop removal is an integral part of many of the Appalachian State’s economies. It is the most efficient means to extract coal and its methods are significantly less dangerous to the miner. Instead of boring mines and tunnels through a mountainside, tops of mountains are blasted off and miners may work to extract coal without fear of a tunnel collapse or mine cave-in. It is also much easier for machines to transport the coal from its source to the plant. In short—and herein may lie Ms. Judd’s problem with it all—mountaintop removal mining equals more profit.

 

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