Atraction General

Hello 11th Hour Community.  Our site has been under a sustained attack by spammers for over a year.  We have not found a good a way to deal with the spam so we have had to shut down automatic approval of new users and blog posts. We left the actions open because that was not hit by spam until this month. So we are shutting automatic approval of that as well.  What that means is that you can still blog, and take action, it just will take awhile for it to post live to the site because we have to approve the posts first. 

We are going to redesign the site and seek out new ways to deal with spam in the next few months.  We are doing this as we are in the middle of releasing our next film Urban Roots, and we are in production on 3 more films so we need our community to be vibrant. 

Amongst the spam continue to be heartwarming and wonderful posts from people who have seen the film and who have taken action or who have shared their thoughts and for that we are very thankful and it is because of these people, that we will continue to keep this site up and running. 

Please bear with us as we upgrade the site and I ask all spammers to go elsewhere, you are ruining this site and you are not welcome.  For everyone else who wants to discuss the positive changes that are being made in the world, or concerns about the environment, please continue to check back on our progress. 

Thanks everyone.  Leila Conners, director/producer/writer, The 11th Hour

An international climate summit began Monday in Cancun, Mexico. Most analysts do not expect the Cancun climate summit to result in a severe international agreement on the way to package with climate change. The failure of the United Nations to achieve any progress on climate change has resulted in a loss of confidence among participating countries that the agency can continue to be effective on the issue.

climate change being procrastinated

What the world will do with climate change may be determined by the Cancun climate summit. There will likely be some procrastination if last December’s Copenhagen climate summit is repeated. The carbon emission problem was ignored with the last-minute non-deal that came with the Copenhagen Accord. climate change plans have to be shared by both creating and developed countries with the Copenhagen Accord which means absolutely nothing really has to be done. There were no plans for emissions reductions discussed.

Nations concentrate on fault, not really remedies

Some kind of treaty at the Cancun climate summit are very unlikely. A legally binding climate change treaty will not come from it. China is getting the fault from the U.S. This is because a deal at Copenhagen went down. China claims it's the United States fault though. The carbon emissions crisis came from somewhere else if you ask creating countries. They say developed nations have to solve it as it came from years of industrialization. All the developed countries want a compromise. This way not too much is expected. Both developed and undeveloped nations have lost confidence within the ability of the United Nations to play a meaningful role.

Playing politics within the United States of America while China does something

The Copenhagen Accord failed. This didn’t stop clean energy from getting into China. China is now the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels and wind turbines. The country is also poised to become the world leader in clean coal technology and efficient nuclear reactors. Meanwhile, the creation of a carbon sector to curb emissions passed away with cap and trade within the United States Senate, and a Republican House starting in 2011 promises congressional gridlock that will prevent the United States from providing any leadership at the Cancun climate summit.

Articles cited

CNN

articles.cnn.com/2010-11-26/opinion/lash.cancun.climate_1_climate-change-climate-summit-climate-meetings?_s=PM:OPINION

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com/story/hot-but-not-bothered-at-cancun-climate-summit-2010-11-29

TIME

ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/11/26/climate-5-ways-of-looking-at-the-un-climate-summit-in-cancun/

Location

I am looking at starting a farmer's market in my community. I've got a small environmental group together already called Pangea, but we simply do not have enough people as we would like, or as it would take to actually begin this project. If anyone is interested in joining the group or helping with the projects that we do, it would be much appreciated.

We are called Pangea because it is the single continent that scientists believe existed before recorded time began. We are looking to bring the world back to that state of unity and respect for the earth that we all walk on and the creatures that we cohabit with. We deal with animal rights and environmental concerns. Some of our ongoing projects include starting a farmer's market booth and putting on a fundraiser for The Cove dolphins, the dolphins being slaughtered in Taiji Bay.

Take a look at the balance sheet of any business.  Most have made large investments in fixed assets.  Examples of these commitments include manufacturing and assembly equipment, buildings and facilities, and computers and software.  Regardless of the product or service offered, fixed assets are required to deliver value.  Hospitals, universities, and other institutions are in the same boat.  Without brick and mortar and other fixed assets, they are not able to carry out their public service role.  An economist might say most businesses and institutions are long fixed assets – major financial commitments made to support the organization’s ongoing mission.

 

In contrast, most businesses and institutions are short electricity.  After employee salaries and benefits, electricity is often the largest indirect operating cost.  For some businesses, like commercial real estate, it can represent 30% or more of total operating expenses.  Unlike employee costs, electricity prices are uncontrollable and volatile.  Over time, kilowatt hour unit costs are susceptible to broad macroeconomic trends.  They are driven by the marginal costs of production, primarily fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.  While low today, wholesale natural gas prices have varied by 400% since 2008.  A hiccup or shock in supply and demand can have profound effects on the unit cost of electricity.  By being short electricity, organizations put a large part of their margins and profits at risk to factors beyond their control.

 

What can be done to better match the term of fixed assets and power costs?  Historically, not much.  Most power contracts are limited to 2-3 year terms, because electricity suppliers cannot afford to assume the risk of fuel price changes.  Financial hedges for fuel prices can be purchased but they also have a short life and are expensive.  Renewable power provides the potential answer.  Because renewable sourceslike wind and solar do not require fuel and have low ongoing costs, they can provide a 15-20 year physical hedge against future power price increases.  The value of the hedge accrues to the renewable power owner – typically utilities or developers.

 

CustomerFirstRenewables (CFR) is changing where the value of renewables is captured, with direct user investment in utility-scale renewable energy sources.  CFR offers a flexible, customer-tailored contract that offers many financial and environmental advantages.  CFR’s service model provides value tailored to customer needs and far exceeding what they can do on their own:

• Reduced electricitycosts compared to conventional electricity supplies
• A natural, physical hedge against future price growth in electricity markets
• Production and management of carbon and renewable energy credits
• Brand enhancement through demonstrated environmental stewardship, and
• A true financial share in the renewable energy upside as prices grow and fluctuate

 

 

To know more about renewable sources supply solutions offered by CustomerFirstRenewables, log on to http://www.customerfirstrenewables.com

Monday, a new drilling moratorium for the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill was issued by the Obama administration. A federal court judge, citing oil drilling jobs, overturned the first deep water drilling moratorium just last month. Ken Salazar, interior secretary, said he'd come back with an additional one courts would accept. The first deep water drilling moratorium singled out drilling for oil at any kind of depths of 500 feet or more. The new drilling moratorium disregards depth and focuses only on drilling scenarios and know-how. Meanwhile, the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has dumped an estimated 140 million gallons of crude to the sea. Resource for this article: New drilling moratorium issued as first drilling rig leaves gulf by Personal Money Store

To all depths, the new drilling moratorium works

Last week, a federal appeals court rejected an appeal that was given by the interior department to restore its first offshore deep-water drilling moratorium, which halted the approval of any new permits for deep-water projects and suspended drilling on 33 exploratory wells. The Washington Post reports that Salazar made the announcement Monday, arguing that a drilling moratorium is still needed to ensure that oil and gas companies implement safety measures to reduce risks - and are prepared to manage oil spills. Unlike the first moratorium, which applied to drilling rigs in waters of more than 500 feet, the new one applies to any deep-water floating facility with drilling activities.

Oil drilling jobs at risk

The new moratorium is prepared to last through Nov. 30th. Some permits can be allowed before then if drillers prove safety methods have been taken. In the Meantime, a New Orleans business group said the economic damage from a drilling moratorium would be worse than the toll taken by the oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico 2010. Business Week reports that Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans Inc. told the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill and Offshore Drilling at a listening to the six-month drilling ban may affect as much as 24,000 oil drilling jobs in Louisiana. Hecht assumed that the economic impact from the BP oil spill would be dwarfed by the impact from the moratorium.

Not trusting oil drilling companies

Salazar disagrees with Hecht's assessment of the outcome. In a statement Salazar explained "A pause on deepwater drilling is essential and appropriate to protect communities, coasts, and wildlife from the risks that deep water drilling presently poses. I'm basing my decision on evidence that grows every single day of the industry's inability in the deep water to contain a catastrophic blowout, respond to an oil spill and to operate safely."

First drilling rig is to leave the gulf

At the national commission listening to, the CEO of a service provider for offshore drillers said drilling rigs are likely to have to leave the Gulf because of the drilling moratorium. One has proven right so far. It was reported by the Houston Chronicle that on July 9 Diamond Offshore announced that its Ocean Endeavor drilling rig will leave the Gulf of Mexico and move to Egyptian waters immediately — making it the first to abandon the gulf within the wake of the BP oil spill and also the drilling moratorium being tested in the courts.

More details about this topic at these websites:

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071203003.html?hpid=topnews

businessweek.com

businessweek.com/news/2010-07-12/economic-damage-of-drilling-ban-to-dwarf-oil-spill-hecht-says.html

Houston Chronicle

chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7101738.html

Throughout history astrology has functioned symbolically to represent Man's attitude to and understanding of Nature. When Man disconnects himself from Nature, Self and the Cosmos, this disconnection is made evident through a decline or dismissal of interest in astrology. The paper argues that this disconnection makes astrology at times seem like a 'superstitious vulgarity', to use St Augustine's view of astrology. Many others over the centuries have discounted astrology in a similar manner. Yet, at other times in history, astrology has been held in high regard and recognised to be serving an important role in reconnecting Man to Nature, Self and the Cosmos. The present ecological crisis is perhaps a reflection of a psychological crisis - a sign that the modern decline of astrology has progressed too far. The paper concludes with suggestions for how the emerging interest in systems thinking might enable modern man to reconnect with astrological thinking, and therefore Nature, Self and the Cosmos follow the link below http://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings53rd...

A green fundraising company offering eco friendly fundraising options for elementary schools and other non-profit organization.

if you belong to a group that needs to raise money, there may be no more fun or green way to do it than selling Smencils!  Instead of selling junk food, you make a huge difference for the planet.  Instead of using wood to make Smencils, they use recycled newspapers that are hardened so that they can be sharpened just like a regular pencil.  They also use fun scents like orange and root beer.  How cool is that??

 

Global Change of our Climate has almost brought us as a civilization to a tipping point. This is the main reason why Glob-Chan company was created. We provide a new generation of an Eco-friendly, low-energy personal computers. 

Our power and money saving hardware inside of each Eco PC makes your work on such a PC max. efficient at your min. every-day power electricity demand and it is all for a reasonable price. 

There are still people, who don't know about Global Warming or who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence, but do we..?

Our products:
represent Technological and Ecological innovation and new solution in IT Technology,

effectively lower your IT power-energy demand and save you money on your electricity bills,

great design, ultra-thin, ultra-light, high performance, stillness, efficiency, sustainability, 48h testing of each PC before shipping, warranty 12/24 months,

 are made from 100% recyclable material while the technology used is decreasing the amount of humanly created emissions and carbon dioxide CO2 in about 90 %. (How? 90% less power consumption)

Establishment of this company was inspired by highly respected Hollywood actor and marvelous environmentalist 
...Leonardo Di Caprio...

         Every Eco PC saves our atmosphere from cca 2 tonnes of CO2 in 5 years.
(depends on the country and its sources for creating energy)

-click here and then on "Save money" to see how much CO2 and Money you save in SVK, UK, USA, AUS-

Please visit our website

WWW.GLOBCHAN.SK

 

Global Change of our Climate has almost brought us as a civilization to a tipping point. This is the main reason why Glob-Chan company was created. We provide a new generation of an Eco-friendly, low-energy personal computers. 

Our power and money saving hardware inside of each Eco PC makes your work on such a PC max. efficient at your min. every-day power electricity demand and it is all for a reasonable price. 

There are still people, who don't know about Global Warming or who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence, but do we..?

Our products: represent Technological and Ecological innovation and new solution in IT Technology, effectively lower your IT power-energy demand and save you money on your electricity bills,. great design, ultra-thin, ultra-light, high performance, stillness, efficiency, sustainability, 48h testing of each PC before shipping, warranty 12/24 months,

are made from 100% recyclable material while the technology used is decreasing the amount of humanly created emissions and carbon dioxide CO2 in about 90 %. (How? 90% less power consumption)

Please visit our eng website:

WWW.GLOBCHAN.SK