UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR JUNE 2005
HOME PAGE	Kleiner's Korner For Week of June 27, 2005 Dear Readers, As you are well aware, I have written letters to our local elected officials and copied the newspaper on issues of importance to me. Rather than being a letter writer, I am getting involved in this community's government to steer this town forward. With my experience in the corporate world coupled with over 20 years of inner spiritual work, I am uniquely qualified to share my talents with our community. It's about the FUTURE! Steve Klein has announced his candidacy for mayor of Yelm. Please visit link here . PRESS RELEASE June 28, 2005 - Steve Klein announced his candidacy to be the next mayor of Yelm, Washington. Klein offered a new vision of leadership for Yelm that promotes a spirit of fairness, responsiveness, and accountability for city government. "Yelm doesn't need another boss. What Yelm needs is a public servant," Klein said. He plans to reinstate the old-fashioned grass-roots approach to local government and added, "Good decisions made to benefit Yelm now and in the future depend on bringing people together and then listening to all viewpoints." Klein is a successful business manager and brings a wealth of experience from the corporate world to Yelm's City Hall. "I look forward to working with the town council, the employees of Yelm, and all of the businesses, service groups, and organizations that make up our great city." Klein pledged to implement sound principles of leadership that will improve the quality of life for all Yelm residents. With Yelm as one of the fastest growing towns in Washington, Klein said his campaign will focus on managing Yelm's growth effectively, protecting its environment and heritage, and stimulating economic opportunities for its residents. Klein is committed to working within an administration that values collective involvement, empowerment, and cooperation in the planning and developing of Yelm's future. According to Klein, these objectives will form the foundation of improving relations with all constituents of Yelm, its surrounding communities and outlying areas. He will also establish an open-door governing policy and implement "Smart Growth" strategies. Klein added, "We are a community in transition, a rich blend of old traditions and new directions. We are a small town quickly becoming a thriving urban residential and commercial center." Klein also said he intends to initiate an aggressive voter outreach program because he sees the diversity of Yelm's residents as its greatest strength. "The passionate opinions which have been expressed on all sides of recent issues facing Yelm's citizens are indicative of a very interested and concerned constituency." "My administration will speak to the people of Yelm," said Klein. "Yelm is not only measured by the success of downtown or the wealth of big business. It is also measured by our children's hope for the future, the economic security of our families, and the safety of our community." Klein has resided in Yelm for over 17 years and lives with his wife Yael. . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of June 20, 2005 FATHER’S DAY BORN RIGHT HERE IN WASHINGTON STATE “Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a 'father's day' in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a 'father's day.' In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day,” quoting Holidays.net. This writer pauses to thank his Father & all Fathers for our lives. Happy Father's Day, Dad. 1. FOLLOW-UP: WEST COAST TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM NEEDS WORK “One of the major ways of alerting Washington coastal residents to a tsunami - the NOAA weather and hazard alert radio - failed during the West Coast warning Tuesday [June 14] night. The meteorologist in charge of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office in Seattle, Chris Hill, says the warning didn't get out because a phone line was out between the office and the Coast Guard. The AHAB, or All Hazards Alert and Broadcasting System, is new and, until Tuesday night, untested in a real emergency. The missing codes were just one problem,” quoting KING-5 TV. link here [ED. Note: The reason this quake did not result in a tsunami is that the tectonic plates moved more horizontal, rather than vertical. The vertical movement of plates is what dispaces the water and creates tsunamis. link here ] This writer had recorded this story 2 days prior to the California quake: TSUNAMI FORECASTING "Six months after the mega-tsunami that killed more than a quarter of a million people in lands around the Indian Ocean, scientists are literally digging for answers to the question: How can we anticipate such cataclysms in the future? They're excavating the soil along the world's coastlines, seeking geological evidence of past tsunamis, some of which struck during epochs before the Roman Empire. Typical evidence is a sheet of beach sand sandwiched between younger and older layers of ordinary soil, like a slice of ham between two slabs of sourdough. That sandy layer is all that remains of a horrific moment long ago, when the sea surged skyward and slammed into the beach and scoured it clean of trees, underbrush, animals and, perhaps, villages. By uncovering and dating such sandy layers -- "tsunami sediments" or "tsunami deposits," as they're called -- scientists hope to forecast how frequently tsunamis will strike different regions in the future," quoting the San Francisco Chronicle. link here Preliminary Analysis of Sedimentary Deposits from the 1998 Papua New Guinea (PNG) Tsunami link here A fabulous graphic of wave heights in the Cascadia Subduction Zone: link here . 2. HARVARD MAGAZINE: “WHAT SHOULD—OR CAN—BE DONE ABOUT ‘THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME OF THE CENTURY’”? "Five thousand years ago in the Mesopotamian marshes, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in southern Iraq, the Sumerians began history. They devised an irrigation system and built an agrarian society, banding together the children of hunter-gatherers in the world's first cities—Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Lagash, Larsa—on the edge of the marshes. From their cradle of civilization, the Sumerians brought forth writing (as well as the wheel, maybe, and much else fundamental) and carved into clay tablets the epic of Gilgamesh, which describes the Flood. Here, many say, was the Garden of Eden (although the latest scientific thinking suggests it was at a spot now at the bottom of the Persian Gulf). Saddam Hussein drained the Mesopotamian marshes in the 1990s, turning 95 percent of wetlands the size of Massachusetts to desert...When Saddam and his increasingly Sunni-focused regime went after the wetlands, his primary target was its human inhabitants, a quarter of a million or more Marsh Arabs, or Ma'dan, so called—Shi'ites. They lived in watery harmony with their environment, in homes made of reeds on artificial mud-and-reed islands or on the banks of the marshes, as their predecessors had for millennia," quoting Harvard Magazine in this very thorough article about water issues of Iraq. link here . 3. ENERGY CONSUMPTION STORIES OF THE WEEK "From farm to plate, the modern food system relies heavily on cheap oil. Threats to our oil supply are also threats to our food supply. As food undergoes more processing and travels farther, the food system consumes ever more energy each year. The US food system uses over 10 quadrillion Btu (10,551 quadrillion Joules) of energy each year, as much as France's total annual energy consumption. Growing food accounts for only one-fifth of this. The other four-fifths is used to move, process, package, sell, and store food after it leaves the farm. Some 28% of energy used in agriculture goes to fertilizer manufacturing, 7% goes to irrigation, and 34% is consumed as diesel and gasoline by farm vehicles used to plant, till, and harvest crops. The rest goes to pesticide production, grain drying, and facility operations... The biggest political action individuals take each day is deciding what to buy and eat. Preferentially buying local foods that are in season can cut transport and farm energy use and can improve food safety and security. Buying fewer processed, heavily packaged, and frozen foods can cut energy use and marketing costs, and using smaller refrigerators can slash household electricity bills. Eating lower on the food chain can reduce pressure on land, water, and energy supplies. Fossil fuel reliance may prove to be the Achilles' heel of the modern food system. Oil supply fluctuations and disruptions could send food prices soaring overnight. Competition and conflict could quickly escalate. Decoupling the food system from the oil industry is key to improving food security," quoting Danielle Murray who is a staff researcher with Earth Policy Institute. link here Earth Policy Institute's site says "Welcome to Earth Policy Institute, dedicated to providing a vision of an environmentally sustainable economy—an eco-economy—as well as a roadmap of how to get from here to there. — Lester Brown, President": link here OIL CONSUMPTION IN 2004 HIGHEST EVER “BP said world energy consumption grew by 4.3 percent in 2004, the largest-ever annual increase in global energy consumption in volume terms and the highest percentage growth since 1984. China was the powerhouse behind much of the demand, recording its third consecutive year of energy consumption growth in excess of 15 percent,” quoting BusinessWeek. link here FORD WORST CAR PRODUCER IN WEST FOR GAS MILEAGE "Ford likes to say it is a company of 'environmental heroes,' but in fact Ford is a company that builds primitive gas-guzzling vehicles. According to the US EPA, Ford cars and trucks have had the worst average fuel economy of all the major automakers for the last five years in a row. Ford has know-how to increase fuel economy to 50 mpg by 2010 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2020. But the company lacks the will to innovate. As a symbol of American entrepreneurship, Ford should do everything it can to break oil addiction," quoting JumpStartFord. link here . 4. “TOXIC AGENT FOUND IN TREATED NEWBORNS LINKED TO PLASTIC” "Researchers have found a plastic-softening chemical used in some medical devices in the systems of newborn babies getting treatment in intensive-care units at high enough levels to drive hospitals to seek safe alternatives. The new study, which appeared Wednesday [June 8] in the online edition of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to directly link the greater use of intravenous tubes and other devices containing the chemical, phthalates, to higher levels of the chemical in babies' urine. There are no data that show adverse health effects from phthalates exposure to newborns, but California health officials consider the chemical both a carcinogen and a toxicant that causes reproductive harm. Dozens of studies have shown that phthalates, or DEHP, produce developmental and reproductive system damage in laboratory animals. The study was conducted by scientists in the Harvard School of Public Health who worked with two Harvard-affiliated hospitals and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control," quoting the San Francisco Chronicle. link here And, Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news on the impact of the environment on human health, where the study was published. link here Further, "Low doses of Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical widely used in plastic food containers, baby bottles, cans, toys and dental sealants could be a contributing factor to the development of breast cancer in women, scientists say in a new study. The conclusions of the study are the second blow to the plastics industry over the past week, reports Ahmed ElAmin. As reported in FoodProductionDaily.com a study published by Environmental Health Perspectives claims that normal exposure to phthalates could harm the genital development of unborn baby boys. Phthalates are a chemical group used in plastics packaging, such as bags, to make products flexible and pliable. "The studies potentially exposes plastic packaging companies or their clients to suits from consumers who may have been harmed by the chemicals. The BPA study reinforces previous studies on the chemical. Consumers and lawyers may conclude that the industry might have been negligent in ignoring the previous studies," quoting Food Production Daily. link here . 5. "VOW OF LOWER DOLLAR COSTS ATTRACTS VENTURE CAPITAL" ”Two Silicon Valley solar cell start-ups, both at the brink of delivering more cost-effective technologies to the red-hot solar market, have raised fresh war chests of venture capital. Nanosolar of Palo Alto has raised $20 million from a group of investors led by the Menlo Park firm Mohr, Davidow Ventures. Miasolé of San Jose has raised $16 million in a round led by Menlo Park's Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The fundings are significant because these companies promise to bring down the cost of solar cell technology, which remains relatively expensive compared with more traditional sources of electricity. (registration required) link here . 6. GROUP SUPPORTS ENVIRONMENT THROUGH EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION "By turning average citizens into life-long advocates for the environment. By giving communities a voice in conserving their natural resources. And by helping individuals better their lives through more sustainable livelihoods. Our approach? Rare supports literally hundreds of grassroots conservationists around the world each year—providing them with training, technical support, and resources. They, in turn, inspire conservation among thousands of local residents, decision-makers, and tourists in some of the planet’s most important places for biodiversity. Sometimes these conservationists are traditionally trained biologists, park managers, and environmental educators. More often they are homemakers, fishermen and farmers, radio DJs, teachers, and small-town mayors. Whoever has the essential passion for environment and commitment to his or her community, region or country. Their work is hard. They often face tremendous obstacles—from no budgets to natural disasters to political apathy. But these are the people who will continue on, long after international interests and funding have moved to other parts of the globe. Although Rare’s name and programs have evolved a few times since the organization was founded 30 years ago, the essence of Rare has remained the same: supporting the efforts of conservationists around the world to save magnificent natural landscapes and irreplaceable wildlife." quoting their site. This writer first learned of this organization from an ad they placed in The Ecologist. link here . 7. 235 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, CAPT. JAMES COOK DISCOVERED GREAT BARRIER REEF. PREDICTION: 95% OF IT WILL BE GONE BY 2050 "Cook also discovered the Great Barrier Reef, when his ship ran aground June 11, 1770; Endeavour was seriously damaged (and his voyage delayed almost 7 weeks) while repairs were carried out on the beach near the dock in modern Cooktown, at the mouth of the Endeavour River. While there, Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander made their first major collections of Australian flora and there were mainly peaceful meetings with the local Aboriginal people from whom the name 'kangaroo' was recorded and came into the English language from the local Guugu-Yimidhirr name for a Grey Kangaroo, which was gangaroo," quoting this site. link here "Australia's Great Barrier Reef will lose 95 per cent of its living coral by 2050 - predicts a new report. And this devastating situation will occur if the best-case scenario for global warming unfolds," quoting New Scientist's 2004 story. link here . 8. LARGE U. S. BANK LEADS WAY WITH STRICT ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES "Following pressure by ecological activists and shareholder groups, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will adopt sweeping guidelines that restrict its lending and underwriting practices for industrial projects that are likely to have an environmental impact. The New York banking giant -- third largest in assets in the U.S. -- is expected to issue a 10-page environmental policy today that takes an aggressive stance on global warming, including tying carbon-dioxide emissions to its loan-review process for power plants and other large polluters. The bank also plans to calculate in loan reviews the financial cost of greenhouse-gas emissions, such as the risk of a company losing business to a competitor with lower emissions because it has a better public standing. And J.P. Morgan plans to lobby the U.S. government to adopt a national policy on greenhouse-gas emissions, becoming the first big American bank to pledge that kind of activism on such a contentious issue, according to shareholder activists," quoting this Wall Street Journal report in the Rainforest Action Network (RAN). link here And, the WWF report: link here . 9. KOREA BANS POULTRY IMPORTS FROM NEW YORK “South Korea has halted the import of poultry products from New York state after the United States reported a suspicious case of bird flu in the region, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said on Tuesday [June 13]. The U.S. Agriculture Department informed the World Organization for Animal Health on June 10 of the outbreak of a low-pathogenic bird flu case on a duck farm in Sullivan, New York, the ministry said. The virus is known as the H7N2 strain, but it can develop into a high-pathogenic one and infect humans, the ministry said, adding the U.S. farm authorities are conducting further tests,” quoting the Korea Times. link here . 10. 'BIG BROTHER' CLOSES IN WITH FINGER SCANS USED FOR PAYMENTS “Three or four days a week, Darren Hiers gets lunch at a Sterling, Va., convenience store near the car dealership where he works. He grabs a chicken sandwich and a soda and heads to the checkout counter, where a little gadget scans his index finger and deducts the money from his checking account. Hiers doesn’t have to pull out his wallet to buy lunch – and if it were up to him, he’d never have to write a check or swipe a credit card again. The finger scan used at the shop in Sterling, known as a biometric payment system and made by a Herndon, Va., firm, is just starting to be installed at convenience stores and supermarket chains around the country, another step in a revolution that is turning the human body into the ultimate identification card,” quoting the Washington Post. link here . 11. “2,000-YEAR-OLD PALM SEED GERMINATES” “Israeli scientists say they've succeeded in growing a sapling from what's believed to be the oldest seed ever germinated – a date palm seed 2,000 years old. One of the scientists leading the project said she hopes the ancient DNA from the seed will reveal medicinal secrets that have disappeared from the modern plant. Sarah Sallon, of the Louis Borick Natural Medicine Research Centre in Jerusalem, said on the weekend that her team used seeds from archeological excavations at Masada, the ancient fortress where Jewish rebels committed mass suicide rather than be captured by the Romans in AD 73,” quoting the CBC. link here . 12. SOUTH PUGET SOUND WOMEN HAVE A FABULOUS ORGANIZATION "Welcome to South Sound Woman, the online home of the South Sound Woman Business Directory & Resource Catalog. We invite you to explore the site. Browse the online version of the directory, search our Community Resources section, read the articles written by local professional women who want to share their expertise with you, and find out how you can be involved in the next print edition of South Sound Woman. We hope you enjoy your visit! link here Check and see if your local area has such an organization. . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS ELLEN DEGENERES ADVISES HER TV SHOW AUDIENCE TO CREATE THEIR DAY. "I'm having a really good day," the Emmy Award-winning talk show host said recently to her TV audience. "If you're not having a good day, I predict it's gonna' change. Because it's never too late to start your day over - no matter what's going on..." With typical infectious enthusiasm, DeGeneres waxed eloquent about "What the BLEEP?!" calling the movie "bleepin' great!" link here Ramtha has been teaching students in his school how to create their day since 1992. In the film What the BLEEP Do We Know!?™, Dr. Joe Dispenza mentioned that he creates his day every day. This one comment has generated a tremendous response from movie viewers. Now Ramtha has released a special DVD for showing you how easy it is to Create Your Day link here link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Science by peer pressure is dangerous, but sometimes it is necessary." Unnamed US nuclear scientist commenting after it was revealed that government scientists studying the environmental impact of the proposed nuclear waste dump at Nevada's Yucca Mt. had falsified results to endure the project could continue, as quoted from The Ecologist, June, 2005, pg. 010. . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner Special Edition For June 14, 2005 From KING-5 News: SEATTLE – A major earthquake struck about 80 miles off the coast of Northern California Tuesday evening. The 7.0 earthquake took place near Eureka, Calif. at 7:50 p.m. Tuesday [June 14]. A tsunami warning was in effect for the coastal areas from the California-Mexico border to Sitka, Alaska, including the Oregon and Washington coasts. The warning has now been downgraded to a tsunami bulletin, which means there could still be some effect from the earthquake in some areas. People living in low-lying areas near the coasts are advised to listen for further notice. Clallam County Sheriff's Department is evacuating low-lying areas; Long Beach and Ocean Shores residents are still advised to head to higher ground. Any ships at sea should remain at sea, any ships at shore should remain there. link here If you are unable to open the aforementioned link, go to MSNBC: link here The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: link here The US Geological Survey recent quake info: link here A great graphic on the tsunami warning system: link here then click "Detecting tsunmais" in the "Resources" box on the right. Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of June 13, 2005 CSPI: PALM OIL NOT ONLY PROMOTES HEART DISEASE, NOW RAIN FORESTS CLEARED FOR OIL PALMS "Palm oil has long been known to promote heart disease, but a new report from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says that palm oil production also promotes destruction of the rainforest, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia...Production of palm oil is spiking upward, partly because some food manufacturers are seeking alternatives for partially hydrogenated oils, which promote heart disease. CSPI strongly urges manufacturers to replace partially hydrogenated oils, but to switch to the most healthful oils possible. Companies that must use palm oil should use as little as possible and obtain it from environmentally sustainable sources, says the group. Palm oil is the world's second-most-produced and internationally traded edible oil, according to CSPI's report, Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife. More than 80 percent of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia or Indonesia—where it is mostly grown on land that once was rainforest or peat-swamp forests. When those forest areas are cleared, habitat for endangered animals is destroyed," quoting CSPI. link here And, CSPI's report, Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife link here . 2. AMERICAN GRIZZLY BEAR MAY BE TAKEN OFF ENDANGERED LIST "It's one thing to appreciate and protect the grizzly bear as an American icon. It's another thing when a giant brown predator with those big teeth and those big claws shows up in your backyard looking for a snack. That's what's happening in parts of the West, and a battle is brewing to do something about it. Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The story starts with good intentions: The protection of the grizzly back in 1975. When the bear population was teetering on extinction, the grizzly was put on the endangered species list -- large areas of the West were set aside as protected zones, and killing a grizzly was declared against the law. Guess what? It worked, almost too well in some places. Now there are so many grizzlies that later this month, the government will propose that the bears from the so-called "Yellowstone Zone," which covers parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, be "de-listed," and taken off the endangered list," quoting CBS News 60 MINUTES. link here . 3. SAS FIRST AIRLINE WITH BOEING'S IN-FLIGHT INTERNET SERVICE SAS announced last week that its aircraft now have Boeing's on-board interent service available. "Scandinavian Airlines' two largest corporate accounts in North America are Microsoft and Boeing, so flights to and from Seattle, Wash., from SAS's major European gateway [Copenhagen] were logical choices for offering high-speed, in-flight Internet service," quoting the Boeing new release from last February. link here Israel is on the cutting edge of technology and El Al Israel Airlines also has agreed to equip its new Boeing 777's with the in-flight internet systems for its customers, as well. link here . 4. NO JOKE: A WOMAN’S ABILITY TO ORGASM PARTLY GENE RELATED A woman’s ability to have an orgasm is at least partly determined by her genes and can’t be blamed entirely on cultural influences, new research suggests. link here . 5. SCIENTISTS: EARTH INHABITABLE FAR LONGER THAN THOUGHT "Only a scant 200 million years after Earth was formed, our planet was already a watery world well suited for life to emerge, two scientists have concluded from fresh evidence they found in ancient microscopic minerals. It goes against a host of theories that have long envisioned the early Earth as a hellishly hot and waterless place, its surface semi-molten, seething with volcanoes and bombarded for countless millennia by swarms of asteroids, mini-planets and other debris left over from the very origin of the entire solar system. Yet other scientists are already agreeing with this new picture of Earth's earliest epoch -- a picture that provides a longer period for the chemical building blocks of life to begin assembling into elaborate molecules, a shift that must have preceded the emergence of the first living organisms," quoting the San Francisco Chronicle. link here . 6. “HEIGHTENED EMOTION LINKED TO PREMATURE CARDIAC CONTRACTIONS” To explore how feelings affect heartbeats, Matthew Stopper of the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and his colleagues asked 24 patients with implanted defibrillator devices to keep a diary of their emotions. The patients all had conditions that can disrupt electrical signals to the heart, causing an unhealthy quivering of the muscles. This in turn can lead to a cardiac arrest. Their implanted defibrillators are designed to detect these abnormalities and deliver a life-saving electric shock to put their hearts back in the right rhythm…Stopper's team isn't sure exactly how anger has this effect. But they think that the adrenaline surge associated with a burst of anger might be the trigger,” quoting Nature. link here . 7. FOLLOW-UP: “STEM CELL ADVOCATES PLAN STRATEGY “Scientists gather routinely at the Texas Medical Center to share research. But they are meeting this weekend in enemy territory for a war-room session on political strategy. Advocates of embryonic stem cell research from the fields of academia, politics, health care and medicine -- including South Korean cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-suk -- are plotting ways to quell opposition and get the research money flowing. 'The choice of Texas for the meeting is symbolic,’ said Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, the host of the meeting at Baylor Medical Center,” quoting the AP on CNN. link here . 8. MAYORS SIGN ACCORD TO MAKE CITIES GREENER “Mayors from around the world on Sunday [June 5] signed an international treaty calling for increased use of public transportation and drastic cuts to the amount of trash sent to landfills. The signing of the "Urban Environmental Accords" capped the United Nations World Environment Day Conference in San Francisco. The nonbinding accords list 21 specific actions that can make cities greener. San Francisco was the first U.S. city to host the annual conference. Much of the conference focused on global warming and what mayors can do to curb emissions of "greenhouse gases" such as carbon dioxide that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Mayors participating in Sunday's [June 5] ceremony came from Zurich, Istanbul, Melbourne, Seattle and dozens of other cities. They signed the agreement before heading outside to hear a 500-member gospel choir sing a song composed for the event called ‘Together We Can,’” quoting the AP. link here . 9. DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT POMEGRANETES A grand story on why pomegranate juice is so healthy. Further, on the same page is why we should not flush medicines down the toilette, as they are surviving sewage treatment and leeching into the drinking water supply. link here click "For Your Health" then Next two times (to page 12). . 10. BUYING PUBLIC OPTING FOR FUEL EFFICIENCY "Mirroring a national trend, many car buyers in Washington are opting for more fuel-efficient vehicles: • Pickup sales fell 4.6 percent in Washington in the first quarter of this year, compared with a year earlier, according to R.L. Polk data. That trend seems to be escalating. Sales of pickups for personal use in the state, for example, were about 15 percent lower than in April of last year, a Seattle Times review of state registration data found. • Buyers are waiting weeks or months for a new hybrid Toyota Prius because of high demand. Local dealers sold 395 of them new in April, compared with 135 a year ago, state data show. Sales of Honda's Civic hybrids grew slightly, while Ford sold 51 of its new Escape hybrid SUVs to Washington motorists. The state already ranked fourth in sales of gas-electric hybrids, behind California, Virginia and Florida. • Fuel-efficient sedans are growing in popularity. Sales of the Toyota Corolla, rated at 38 mpg, are up more than a third in April compared with 2004, according to state registration figures. Other gas-thrifty models showing gains include the Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Scion and Volkswagen Jetta. • Overall sales of sport-utility vehicles fell 3 percent, both in Washington and nationwide, in the first quarter of this year, Polk found," quoting the Seattle Times. link here . 11. COMPANY HARVESTS "THE URBAN FOREST FOR BETTER PACKAGING SOLUTIONS" "Pratt Industries is the world's largest, privately-owned paper and packaging company with annual sales of more than $2 billion. At Pratt Industries, we 'harvest the urban forest,' because we are fully committed to recycling and the environment. The U.S. operations are based in Conyers, Georgia, and have shown dramatic growth over the past 10 years. Pratt Industries (USA) is now the 7th largest corrugated packaging company in America, with sophisticated manufacturing facilities in more than a dozen states. Each year, we collect more than 700,000 tons of paper and old corrugated from retail, industrial, residential and municipal areas throughout the South and New York. In the process, we save the equivalent of more than 25,000 trees a day from being felled," quoting their website. Scroll down and check out their "trees saved" counter. Pratt advertises their boxes are made from "100% post consumer recycled fibers." link here . 12. A MOVING STORY: "LEMONADE IS A WEAPON IN THE WAR ON CHILDHOOD CANCER" This writer came upon this story in Delta Airlines Inflight Magazine SKY last week and brought it home to share with you. This is well worth your time to read the article. "T this day, Liz and Jay Scott don’t know where or how their daughter Alexandra came up with the idea. It was the middle of winter in 2000, and Alex was as sick as a 3-year-old could be. Past surgeries hadn’t worked. Her tumors had returned. In an attempt to subdue her affliction, an often deadly form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma, her doctors had resorted to a stem cell transplant, and the accompanying treatment had left her mouth so ravaged by sores she couldn’t even talk. But she could think. And when the pain in her mouth subsided, she announced to her mother what she wanted to do when she got out of the hospital. “I want to have a lemonade stand,” Alex said. “That’s fine,” Liz Scott absently answered back. “But I don’t want to keep the money,” Alex continued. “I want to give it to my hospital. Because all kids want their tumors to go away.” link here "Alexandra "Alex" Scott was the 8 year old founder of Alex's Lemonade Stand For Pediatric Cancer Research. Two days before her first birthday she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer . At the age of four, Alex decided to do something to make that cure more likely. She opened her first lemonade stand in July of 2000 with the idea of donating the proceeds to "her hospital." Each year since, Alex has held an annual lemonade stand in her front yard. As word has spread, donations have poured in from around the world, and she has raised over $1,600,000 for pediatric cancer. Thank you for supporting Alex's Lemonade Stand!" link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS Quoting his email release: Dr. Joe [Dispenza] is happy to announce that "Mastering the Art of Observation" Volume 1 in a new DVD series titled Your Immortal Brain, [directed by JZ Knight] is now available. Also available is a CD of Dr. Joe's presentation, "Rewiring Your Brain to a New Reality," given at the What the Bleep Conference in Santa Monica [CA.] on February 5, 2005. You can find information on how to purchase these on his web site at link here We expect Dr. Joe's forthcoming book "Evolving Your Brain and the Science of Creating Personal Reality" to be available in early fall. We will keep you updated about further DVDs and the publication of the book. We are also happy to announce even though Dr. Joe's schedule remains very busy, his first Newsletter is now available on his web site at link here . OF LOCAL NOTE "A winemaker, plant grower and commercial builder were recognized by the Economic Development Council of Thurston County this afternoon during its annual meeting. Lacey's Classic Winemakers, which was opened in 2003 by Ron Smith and Judith Clifford, was named new business of the year. The owners, who assist customers in preparing, labeling and bottling their own wine, were honored for creating a market where none existed before and for a personable approach with customers. Other finalists included Dominic's Coffee of Tumwater and Mountain West Retirement of Yelm and Lacey," quoting the Business Examiner. link here And, the Economic Development Council of Thurston County website: link here And, Classic Winewakers site: link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "In the absence of the gold standard there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the "hidden" confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. If one grasps this, one has no difficulty in understanding the statists' antagonism toward the gold standard.” Alan Greenspan U. S. Federal Reserve (Central Bank) Chairman since 1987 Written in 1966 titled: "Gold And Economic Freedom" As reprinted from the book "Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal" by Ayn Rand with additional articles by Alan Greenspan - 1967 link here The Federal Reserve page on Mr. Greenspan: link here . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of June 6, 2005 Dear Readers; This writer received a letter from a reader last week and I quote “…I must tell you that I enjoy your emails quite a bit, although I sometimes don't enjoy their message.” I wrote back that usually means I have stirred the reader's mind to contemplate, which leads to expansion, even though those thoughts may be uncomfortable. Hopefully some of what I write has broadened your knowledge on subjects that get scant attention by the mainstream press. I also write with a context to push the envelope of mainstream thought... 1. "STEM CELL PIONEER CRITICIZES WHITE HOUSE POLICY" "The Bush administration's reluctance to fully support stem cell research is impeding U.S. research that has the potential to make major medical breakthroughs, South Korea's top cloning expert said Sunday [May 29]. Woo Suk Hwang, the head of a team of South Korean scientists who cloned the first human embryo to use for research, said in an interview with Reuters that stem cell science will advance because of its enormous potential, and will not be halted by political interests. 'The scientific effort to resolve the pain of patients with incurable conditions is very honourable, and I believe no mere individual politician or party can stop the historic trend,' Hwang said at his laboratory at Seoul National University. Earlier this month [May], Hwang's team made news around the world for its research that fulfilled one of the basic promises of cloning technology in stem cell research — that a piece of skin could be taken from a patient to grow stem cells with that patient's specific genetic material. Hwang said that he was not cloning human embryos, but using eggs harvested from human females to create cells that can never become an actual human being. 'I firmly reject the term human cloning,' Hwang said. 'This is a scientific activity called somatic nuclear cell transfer, and in no part does it involve the physiological process of fertilization of eggs by sperm.' Hwang would like to keep the science on stem cell research open and global, saying that greater international cooperation will lead to more effective results, more quickly. For him, the ethical consideration should weigh heavily in favor of a patient suffering from a disease or malady now considered incurable — as opposed to the stem cells he creates in the lab," quoting Reuters. [Ed. Note: Well-said Professor Hwang!] link here . 2. “…OPPORTUNITY FOR TECHNOLOGY LEAPFROGGING IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD” "Thomas Edison’s seemingly forward-looking statement that ‘we will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles’ was true enough for the industrialized world, but it did not anticipate the plight of 1.6 billion people—more than the world’s population in Edison’s time—who 100 years later still have no access to electricity. Due to population growth, barriers to electrification, and other factors, The International Energy Agency projects that this number will decline very gradually (only 0.4%-year!) between now and the year 2030. Although one in three people today obtain light with kerosene and other fuels, they receive only 0.1% of the resulting lighting energy services. Put differently, users of kerosene lighting pay 150-times more per unit of useful energy services than do those in electrified homes with compact fluorescent lamps. We estimate that, in aggregate, the fuel-based lighting costs the world's poor $38 billion each year, plus ~190 megatons of CO2 emissions, the most important greenhouse gas. Efforts to address the issue clearly have immense potential benefits for equity, development, and the environment. Thanks to dramatic improvements in the efficiency of white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), it has become possible to create compact, highly affordable, rugged, and cost-effective illumination systems powered with small solar panels and rechargable "AA" batteries," quoting Evan Mills, Ph.D. of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. [Ed. Note: this writer was fortunate enough to visit this lab when his cousin worked there in the 80's] link here . 3. FABUOUS PICTURES OF THE BRAIN A KK reader sent in this fabulous link with clear, understandable pictures of the brain for those interested in learning more. link here . 4. “ORGAN TRANSPLANTS AND CELLULAR MEMORIES” "According to this study of patients who have received transplanted organs, particularly hearts, it is not uncommon for memories, behaviours (sic), preferences and habits associated with the donor to be transferred to the recipient," quoting Nexus Magazine. link here . 5. UN ATLAS REVEALS STRIKING CHANGES TO PLANET IN SHORT TIME “An atlas of environmental change compiled by the United Nations reveals some of the dramatic transformations that are occurring to our planet. It compares and contrasts satellite images taken over the past few decades with contemporary ones. These highlight in vivid detail the striking make-over wrought in some corners of the Earth by deforestation, urbanisation and climate change. The atlas has been released to mark World Environment Day,” quoting the BBC. link here The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) produced One Planet Many People: Atlas of our Changing Environment in co-operation agencies such as the US Geological Survey (USGS) and NASA. link here . 6. NRDC FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST USA FOR DOCS RELATING TO OCEAN MAMMAL DEATHS FROM SONAR “A national conservation group filed suit Wednesday [June 1] to force the government to reveal the extent to which ocean mammals worldwide have died as a result of massive sonic blasts from intense military search equipment. In the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the Natural Resources Defense Council Inc. demanded the information from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Commerce. The group said it was seeking thousands of pages of documents through the Freedom of Information Act related to mass strandings and deaths of marine mammals. It said the government has turned over only 12 documents totaling fewer than 25 pages,” quoting CNN. link here And, NRDC’s own press release on the matter: link here . 7. MANMADE CHEMICAL IN SOME PLASTICS MAY HARM SEX ORGANS OF PRENATAL BOYS "A manmade ingredient of many plastics, cosmetics and other consumer products may be interfering with prenatal male sexual development, new research suggests. A study of 85 infant boys found a correlation between increased exposure to some forms of the chemical phthalate and smaller penis size and incomplete testicular descent. It is the first time phthalate has been shown to influence the sexual development of human males. 'This is clearly something that needs to be examined in a larger sample,' said Shanna Swan, a professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry who headed the study. A paper describing the research will appear in a future issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Swan discussed the findings in an interview Thursday [May 26]," quoting the AP. link here [Ed. Note: Male fertility decline has been of concern for quite some time and has been previously mentioned here.] And this from UK’s The Independent, “Pesticides and other man-made chemicals may lower male fertility for at least four generations, according to new research.” link here . 8. AP: “OIL PRODUCTION PEAK AT HAND, CHEAP OIL IS OVER” "Could the petroleum joyride — cheap, abundant oil that has sent the global economy whizzing along with the pedal to the metal and the AC blasting for decades — be coming to an end? Some observers of the oil industry think so. They predict that this year, maybe next — almost certainly by the end of the decade — the world's oil production, having grown exuberantly for more than a century, will peak and begin to decline," quoting the AP. link here . 9. “SPREAD OF AIDS IN INDIA OUTPACES SCANT TREATMENT EFFORT” "...The government estimates that India has 5.1 million people infected with H.I.V., second only to South Africa. Only a year ago did the government start offering free drug therapy. Today, in a country that famously exports low-cost generic AIDS drugs across the world, less than 2 percent of the half-million Indians who are likely to need it receive free treatment. In a country of a billion people, 5.1 million cases are, as the government points out, a drop in the bucket. But as public health workers note, India is at a pivotal moment. It could go the way of South Africa, where a lack of treatment allowed the virus to explode, or that of Brazil, where early and aggressive treatment programs checked the spread of infection. Given India's population, the AIDS pandemic, if not immediately tackled, could far outstrip the devastation visited on many African countries, AIDS advocates warn. In January the World Health Organization called attention to India, as well as Nigeria and South Africa, for not moving fast enough on treatment...Among Indians, AIDS already is no longer confined to the high-risk groups who are believed to have been responsible for its early spread: prostitutes, their customers and users of injected drugs. Nor does it remain a city disease. The number of local districts considered high-prevalence areas doubled in 2004," quotng The New York Times. link here . 10. "WOMEN’S WEIGHT GAIN BRINGS L OSS OF INCOME, JOB PRESTIGE" "An increase in a woman's body mass results in a decrease in her family income and a decline in her occupational prestige, according to research conducted by New York University sociologist Dalton Conley and Rebecca Glauber, an NYU graduate student. The study was sponsored by the Cambridge, MA-based National Bureau of Economic Research. The study's authors also found that a women's body mass is associated with a reduction in a woman's likelihood of marriage, her spouse's occupational prestige, and her spouse's earnings," quoting Medical News Today. link here . 11. JUDGE: PACIFIC NW DAMS MORE HARMFUL TO SALMON THAN BUSH ANALYSIS SAYS "A federal judge in Oregon ruled Thursday [May 26] that the Bush administration had arbitrarily limited and skewed its analysis of the harm that 14 federal dams cause to endangered Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead. As a result, Judge James A. Redden of Federal District Court ruled, the administration had shirked its duty to ensure that government actions were not likely to jeopardize the survival of the species. The ruling came in a challenge by environmentalists, fishing groups and Indian tribes to the administration's determination that the harm the hydropower dams were posing to the young salmon and steelhead could be remedied over the next 10 years by $6 billion in improvements to the dams, including spillways designed to get the fish through safely," quoting the New York Times. link here . 12. "STORE WARS” SITE Grocery Store Wars is a funny and educational piece about organic farming produced for the Organic Trade Association (OTA). “Store Wars is the latest outreach effort of OTA to educate consumers about the many benefits of organic products. By spoofing a pop culture phenomenon like Star Wars, OTA hopes to attract a new generation of organic consumers, especially “Gen Xers” who grew up loving Luke, Leia and Han, and are now increasingly concerned about making healthy food choices for their families,” quoting the OTA press release. link here And the movie: link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS "On Sunday [May 29] afternoon, 55 young people will graduate from Fillmore Central High School during the district’s commencement exercises. The ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the varsity gymnasium of the high school in Harmony [Minnesota]. The class has chosen deep purple and silver as their class colors and the tulip is their class flower. The class’s motto is 'Follow your heart, your dreams, your desires. Do what your soul calls you to do, whatever it is, and allow it to be finished; then you will go on to another adventure.' ~ Ramtha," quoting The Harmony [MN.] New-Record. [Ed. Note: This writer called the high school to discover how this class came to adopt this quote and was told Fillmore Central High has closed for Summer holiday. I was told to call Joe Stevens, Senior Class advisor for further information. He was not available yet his wife told me her understanding is the Senior Class chose this from a selection of notable quotes in June, 2004. If I hear further information, I will keep KK readers posted. Fillmore Central High graduated 54 students of 240 enrolled in grades 9-12.] link here . OF LOCAL NOTE "Yelm Mayor Adam Rivas announced in a news release Friday [June 3] that he will not seek re-election. His term ends at midnight Dec 31. Rivas said he will focus on his business and his family. He thanked volunteers, city staff and the community for contributing to Yelm's successes. Rivas could not be reached for comment Friday night. link here "Economic development officials in Thurston County are working out the final details for an "economic vitality summit" scheduled for next month [June]...The purpose of the June 28 summit is to discuss a coordinated Thurston County economic development strategy...The Olympia-area summit will focus on creating a South Sound economic development plan, said Michael Cade, executive director of the Economic Development Council of Thurston County," quoting The Olympian. link here June 7th, 8th and 9th marks the dates of Andrea Levanti's awesome Drama Dance group is performing at the Drew Harvey Theatre. This is the groups second year with 11 fully committed kids, ages 11 to 18, who have choreographed their own very unique dance pieces for their classmates to perform. The show will run about 1 hour 15 minutes, including intermission. Tickets are $10 for adults/seniors and $5 for students/kids and are available by calling the Drew Harvey Theater at 458-THTR (8487) or you can purchase tickets at the door on an availability basis. Showtimes are as follows: Tuesday, June 7 at 7pm; Wednesday, June 8 at 8pm; and Thursday, June 9 at 7pm . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Proactive people carry their own weather with them. Whether it rains or shines makes no difference to them. Their honor is greater then their moods." Poster in the Yelm, WA. Police Department attributed to "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey Buy you’re here: link here . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .