Researchers have confirmed that human activities have affected the distribution of global rain patterns resulting in the drying of areas such as India and sub-Saharan Africa while Canada, parts of Russia and parts of Europe have seen an increase in rainfall. The results will be published in the journal Nature on Thursday.

There have been suggestions and debate regarding the nature of changes in weather patterns and whether or not human activity is to blame. Natural factors as well as the consumption of fossil fuels and other other human activities are know to influence the atmosphere. Proponents argue the changes are part of the planet's continually shifting climate patterns.  read more »

In a first for the American presidential debate, eight Democratic candidates answered questions from users. The questions were selected by CNN from almost 3000 submissions via YouTube. the questions differed from traditional debates. One question aimed at Clinton asked "how would you define the word 'liberal?' And would you use this word to describe yourself?" A broadly directed question later asked "All of you say you will be able to work with Republicans. Well, here's a test. If you had to pick any Republican member of Congress or Republican governor to be your running mate, who would it be?"  read more »

Transform the Canvas is the first in what I hope will be many collaborative artistic efforts. As an homage to the late great Bob Ross, I've chosen one of his painting compositions (one I actually painted myself while watching him, even though I'd need a few extra weeks to make mine as good as his came out in about 30 minutes.) as the first subject.  read more »

as i approached the vast, spacious view of the grand canyon, i began to feel it- my heart stopped, my breathing slowed and my mind quieted- for an eternal moment, i disappeared into the Oneness of the Cosmos.

merging into the river of Spirit, the river of creation, i became the source of it all. i was the sky, i was the sun, i was the earth, i was the rain that sourced the river that created this magnificent work of art. in that eternal moment, there was no time, no space, no form. there was only a continuum of nothing and everything.

returning to my body form, my mind and my emotions, i experienced the interconnection of all that Is. i realized that there is no object or subject, no out there or in here, no life or death. There is only Spirit-- and that everyone and everything is the manifestation, the reflection, of this spirit.  read more »

After its chairman, Craig Barrett previously made negative comments about it, Intel has decided to join up with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project. Craig Barrett called the laptops a "gadget". The new partners announced that Intel will join the non-profit's board and contribute funding for the program.

The project is also referred to as the $100 laptop program, in reference to the intended cost of the items . Currently the actual cost remains $175 USD. The laptops are intended for distribution to children in poor and developing countries.  read more »

7/12/07 Intro Article LET’S PRETEND THE INNER AND OUTER WORLDS ARE SEPARATE We gotta Transform This Planet (TRFP)! This site provides many suggestions for how to move the TRFP project ahead. In this particular section we pretend that a person's internal world is separate from the external world. This is a quite common and shared perspective that our thoughts and feelings exist in a different space than our cars and governments. We presume that working with our internal world is essential to increase our effectiveness, efficiency, and resilience as we engage the outer world with our TRFP actions.  read more »

The EU has now put into force an electronics recycling law that was originally slated to be enforced 2 years ago. The Waste Wlectrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) requires 4kg (lbs) of electonic waste to be recycled per person. The newly enforeced law shares responsibility for recycling at all point along the consumer spectrum. For starters, manufacturers of electronics are responsible for funding the recycling efforts and retailers are equired to accept the waste from customers.  read more »

Dear Kind Soul,

It was a striking, sunny, spring Sunday afternoon. The air was crisp and dry. A light wind was softly brushing by the sea of people milling about on the steps of the Metropolitan museum. There was a sense of burgeoning joy and wonderment, as if we were all experiencing life for the first time. As I stood at the top of the stairs waiting to meet my girlfriend Marlene, a rush of alertness coursed through my being. I could feel each sense of my body come to attention; the fresh, sweet smell of budding trees and flowers; the gentle caress of the ever so perceptible wind against my body; the bright, radiating sunlight illuminating everything it touched, beckoning its inner beauty to manifest; the cacophony of conversations, children’s gleeful cries, cars passing, trees rustling, all entered my ears in symphonic concert. I tasted its entirety.  read more »

Google Inc. joined with Intel, Dell, EDS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and many other organizations tannouncing the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (www.climatesaverscomputing.org).

The initiative is an effort to "save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting aggressive new targets for energy-efficient computers and components, and promoting the adoption of energy-efficient computers and power management tools worldwide."  read more »

People's concern about the mercury content in compact bulbs is now being addressed by Wal-Mart's announcement that it will dramatically lower the amount of mercury in the compact fluorescent light bulbs sold in Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs. The reductions will remove 360 pounds of mercury per 100 million bulbs sold, a reduction of 33 percent. This is great news, and be aware that using any compact bulbs is better for the environment than using incandescent light bulbs.  read more »