Green-News: Tuesday 8.19.08
- To help plug the city’s water problems, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed an ordinance that will double fines against residents who repeatedly violate water-wasting violations. David Zahniser of The Los Angeles Times reports:
L.A.'s future depends on our citizens to adopt an ethic of conservation," Villaraigosa said.
The anti-drought initiative has coincided with efforts by Villaraigosa to keep his top appointee at the DWP, Commission President Nick Patsaouras, from quitting his post. Perhaps the utility's most aggressive watchdog on spending issues, Patsaouras sent a resignation e-mail Monday, but the mayor refused to accept it.
Villaraigosa said his appointee had repeatedly talked about leaving the volunteer post and about being "overworked." Patsaouras serves on a panel overseeing construction of the new $454-million police headquarters.
"He's talked to me about resigning more than a few times. Each time, I get him to realize that we need him," Villaraigosa said.
Patsaouras would not discuss his conversation with the mayor but sent a brief text message to The Times saying he would stay put "to fulfill the mayor's vision."
- Monsanto, a monumentally lucrative and extremely dubious mega-corporation, is seeing more and more of its dirty laundry being aired out for public viewing. Check out this post and video via Green Living Tips:
Additionally, what I am increasingly becoming aware of is just how much control agri-business and the biotech industry has over governments. It's not only a heavy outside influence from lobbying, but inside as well. For example, Donald Rumsfeld was an ex CEO of a Monsanto subsidiary; and there's many others law makers who previously were associated with biotech companies. The importance of that and the ramifications become clear in the video below.
This may all sound a little tinfoil hat I guess, but when you think about it - control the food, control the water ... you control the world.
Rather than rattle on about the topic with my own half-baked thoughts (I'm still reeling from all the information), I present this documentary to you for consideration - Controlling Our Food. This isn't a 10 minute YouTube presentation - it goes for nearly two hours; so you'll need to set aside a bit of time - but please take the time to do so as it's worth it.
- What’s more green than enlisting a penguin in your army? A 3-foot tall king penguin, named Nils Olav, is now a Norwegian knight. More from the Associated Press:
A resident of Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, the original Nils Olav was made an honorary member of the King's Guard in 1972 after being picked out as the guard's mascot by lieutenant Nils Egelien. The guards adopted him because they often toured the zoo during their visits to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an annual military music festival, according to zoo spokeswoman Maxine Finlay.
The king penguin was named after Egelien and Norway's then-King Olav V. When the penguin died — Finlay said no one at the zoo knew exactly when — he was replaced by a second penguin, who inherited Nils Olav's name and rank.
The current Nils Olav, the third penguin to serve as the guards' mascot, was promoted from honorable regimental sergeant major to honorary colonel-in-chief in 2005, Finlay said.
