I have always secretly believed that the world will procrastinate on the issue of global warming until it is out of control. People would much rather risk massive destruction of human civilization than lose money now. I used to joke with people that the world as we know it will end in 2011. But you know, with global warming, nuclear threats, terrorism, and more going on today, it’s not a certainty that civilization will exist well into the future.

Ok, I got a little off topic. If global warming turns out to be the threat that it seems to be more and more every day, we might need to resort to some emergency measures to save ourselves. Why? Because once the earth’s climate gets too far out of whack - second order effects occur and the climate heats up extra fast. For example, glaciers are good because they reflect light back into space. If the glaciers melt, then the light gets absorbed into the ocean and results in more heat on earth. Once too many glaciers melt, then we are in trouble.

The Surgeon General has just released a statement, based on comprehensive research from many studies on secondhand smoke, that “Only smoke-free buildings and public places truly protect nonsmokers from the hazards of breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke.”

Moreover, there is no risk-free level of exposure to someone else’s drifting smoke… a conclusion sure to fuel already growing efforts at public smoking bans nationwide.

This isn’t exactly new news, but I’m glad the Surgeon General decided to make this statement. I wrote an article about smokers needing to step away from buildings while smoking a while back, and got blasted on the comments as usual. One of the main gripes about my article was that “it’s not going to hurt you if you just walk by and breathe in a little.” Well more and more studies are coming out - many of which were used to make this statement - that prove that there is no such thing as a “safe” amount.

I continue to support a smoking ban, and a requirement that smokers step away from buildings while smoking so the smoke does not end up inside with the draft.

This is the most hilarious video I have ever seen. Joe Mikulik, manager of the Asheville Tourists (what a name), got a little ticked off about a call on second base. And by a little ticked off I mean he started kicking up dirt and throwing bases in an out-of-this-world tantrum. Hilarious.

He dived into second and pulled up the bag before throwing it into right field. By the time he got ejected, Mikulik was just warming up. He covered home plate with dirt and cleaned it with a water bottle, which he spiked on the plate. From the dugout, he threw bats onto the field. “I don’t think I ever lost total control, though it may look like it,” Mikulik told the Asheville Citizen-Times. Mikulik was hit with a seven-day suspension and $1,000 fine by the South Atlantic League.

One of the biggest arguments against converting America to clean energy is that it will dramatically hurt our economy. Is there any truth to this beyond what the Competitive Energy Institute (Exxon Mobil) wants us to believe?

Short answer: no. The only change in our economy that will occur by converting to clean energy is that the oil industry will fall to pieces and be replaced by a clean energy industry. Sure, there will be a transition period that will be iffy - but we’re not going to destroy our economy by building more wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, some nuclear, etc power plants. Our economy will not collapse if we heavily research electric cars, try to develop efficient fuel cells, and simply wean ourselves from oil (and being reliant on foreign governments for it)

The thing that puzzles me so much is that people who are so gung-ho about America’s national security are the ones who don’t think we should devote a second to a very serious alternative energy policy. Instead they think we should just continue to supply these foreign governments, many who probably have connections with terrorists, tons of money.

Did you know that 80% of all trips less than a mile in length are made by car? Now you do. I was just reading a post on one of my new favorite blogs, Get Rich Slowly, entitled: “How to Walk for Fun and Profit.” This article discusses all of the various benefits you get from walking a mile instead of driving it.

I know a man who drives to work, even though he lives half a mile from his office. Why does he drive? Because he may need the car for some errand during the day. How many errands did he run during the workday last week? None. The week before? None.

I have a family member who will spend time circling a parking lot, looking for the perfect space. In the time it takes her to find these utopic spots, she could usually have parked farther from the entrance and burned some calories by walking a few hundred feet to the store.

Another friend lives just over a mile from her brother. She never walks to see him, but always drives. Why? Because walking would take too long. (The drive takes five minutes because of the road layout; walking takes less than twenty minutes.)