Nuclear energy poses an even greater environmental threat than global warming

Nuclear waste has way more destructive effects on the environment than fossil-fuel burning. Eventually the environment will suck up the CO2 we've added (once we've stopped adding to it), and though that will take generations, thousands of years from now we will not have a CO2 problem. But nuclear waste lasts 100s of thousands of years if not millions to billions. Some nuclear material will last longer than our planet. That means it easily lasts longer than any containers we have to hold it. And so far we don't even HAVE a place to hold it. Nuclear waste is a tragic legacy we leave for future generations of our planet and until we have a proper way to deal with it, what are we doing even discussing producing more? Today, more than ever, we owe it our future generations to act responsibility and in the long term. I hope we don't respond to the fears of global warming only to produce an even greater problem!

Wall Street Journal Article

Girls are dying for the right to go to school.

The Taliban believes that girls should not be allowed to attend schools. They are killing and threatening young girls who are in schools (many built and paid for by western countries and individuals who want to help).

All the money in the world to build these schools and pay for their maintenance are NOT going to protect the people who want to attend them.

How can we fight this horror? How can a moment go by when we are not outraged about this atrocity and others like them? And if I have such difficulty going through a single day knowing how much suffering is going on elsewhere on this planet, how do our leaders fare?

How do our women leaders, in France, England, Iceland, Canada, South America, the U.S., the world at large -- how do we all not want to pick up arms and protect them all?

BBC News       Reuters Story       Spiegel Online Story

The complexity of morality. So what?

All over this country and world, I hear people telling other people that the choices they make are "immoral" or "wicked," and that governments should prevent such behaviors from happening. But here's the rub: who are these people to think that society should run by THEIR definition of morality and wickedness? Who gets to decide what is and is NOT immoral or wicked? Whose code do we use? Which religion? Which book?

My own moral code does NOT come from a book a bunch of men wrote thousands of years ago and a bunch of men today interpret as they see fit. I'm an atheist. That already makes me wicked to many.

My code comes from the observations from my own life and the lives of people around me -- it comes from seeing what brings love and brings goodness into people's lives. I value honesty and responsibility -- commitment and stewardship. I believe that everyone has a right to make their own choices, even if I think those choices are wrong or bad or immoral or wicked, as long as those choices do NOT jeopardize the personal welfare and equal freedoms of the rest of society.

I could make a HUGE list of the behaviors I see in others that are "immoral or wicked" by my code or that aren't good for society (in my humble opinion) such as:

• having more than 1 child in a day and age where our planet is overpopulated beyond control.
  
• smoking
• owning hordes of guns
• plastic surgery
  
• getting drunk
• cheating and lying
• NOT recycling
  
• fundamentalists who think there is only one way for every human to behave, and it's their way
• controlling the views and lives of your children or spouse

I and people like me could call for legislation against all the above. And maybe someday we will.

Again I say someone thinks someone else immoral or wicked? So what? EVERY HUMAN BEING IS DOING SOMETHING THAT SOME OTHER HUMAN BEING THINKS IS IMMORAL OR WICKED!! I would like these moral educators who point the finger to look at their own life choices and imagine the horror so many of the rest of us feel about those. Such individuals should be GRATEFUL that they're free to make their own choices, and that the rest of us are not actively trying to take their rights away.

Then maybe they'll get it and help us all protect the rights of everyone to choose their own moral codes and not have those legislated by one religious group!

The greatest irony is that in a society of free choice and speech, there will be people whose choices and speeches are about removing choice and speech from the rest of us. And yet we must let them talk and choose and hope(?) that in the end they don't win!

What's wrong with Prop 8?

The word marriage has changed throughout the ages to reflect the fairness and understanding of a constantly evolving society desiring to allow everyone the freedom to choose and provide equal protections for all. No one can claim the word hasn't evolved! It now includes interracial couples AND civil unions made outside the church and occasionally between, gasp, atheists!

Today, civil unions between heterosexual couples are called marriages. Civil unions between homosexual couples are called partnerships. Separate but equal? Everyone knows that policy is wrong and destined to change. History proves it.

This inequity has been removed in many other states in our nation as well as many other nations in our world. The protections of personal freedoms and equal rights will ultimately win, and the citizens of California who voted for Prop 8 will eventually see the error of their ways. It is NOT right for 52% of the people of this state to make such important constitutional decisions that 48% disagree with! We need to fix the process!

The folks who voted for Prop 8 believe homosexual relationships are wrong. No one's asking folks to change their beliefs. Allowing homosexual couples to marry does NOT mean that everyone has to believe homosexual behavior is OK. Striking down Prop 8 is saying that one group's religious and historic beliefs should not define the behaviors of others! Be careful -- because this sword cuts both ways! And now we all know where the sword is and how to use it...

San Francisco Chronicle Story