Goal For The Green

The first ever national survey on attitudes toward autism, was recently conducted for the Florida Institute of Technology.  Of the 1,000 randomly selected adults, results revealed that nearly 24% , or one in four, believe the disease is caused by childhood vaccines.  This group feels that because vaccines may cause autism, it is safer to not have children vaccinated at all.  Still, another 19% were unsure how they feel about the ongoing controversy.

The Centers for Disease Control, currently reports that the odds of autism affects one in every 150 children born in the United States.  The public concern about vaccines arose from a controversial British study conducted in 1998, that linked autism to the MMR vaccine, which then contained the preservative known as thimerosal.  The authors of that study, later retracted their findings, and thimerosal was removed from all vaccines in 2001.  However, the results of this just completed survey in Florida, suggests that in general, the public is still confused.

The survey commissioned by the Florida Institute of Technology, specifically asked its participants about the preservative and autism.  The results were as follows: 19% agreed with the statement “Autism is caused by a preservative once found in vaccines.”  Another 43% were not sure of this statement, meaning that fewer than half (38%), felt that no link exists between the vaccine and autism.

Part of the confusion may stem from the fact, that there still is no known cause for autism, and people are searching for answers.   Scientist still say that there is no evidence that links vaccines and autism.  Still, there is a lingering fear and unsureness that is leading to fewer parents having their children vaccinated.   The result , according to an August article in The New York Times , states that in the first seven months of 2008, measles cases grew at the fastest rate in a decade.  Cases in Britain, Israel, Italy, and Switzerland are said to be soaring as well.   Fear and anxiety over the ever increasing incidence of the disease, may be leading people to make their own decisions whether to vaccinate or not.

In Other News

The only scientifically proven treatment for autism in young children (ages 3-5), is ABA (Advanced Behavioral Analysis) or 1:1 treatment.  It teaches how to learn.  The use of repetitive skill building techniques, helps children with autism, create a foundation of neural pathways, needed for learning in the general education system.

Some preschools may have fallen behind the curve in offering ABA.  Preschools that have this program in place, save the Department of Education, money in the long run for these children in the 3-5 age group.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends 25-30 hours per week of intense ABA therapy for young autistic children in this age group.  The Department of Education, wastes large amounts of money fighting parents, who insist on proper education for their autistic children.  The DOE, could instead put those funds to better use by implementing ABA in all preschools.

It is afterall, a parents right that effective education for autistic children be readily available to all- not just those who have a fat wallet, or can afford a high priced lawyer.

We all know that America needs to become energy independent.  However, there isn’t a clear vision for achieving that goal, and no real clear cut plan either.  Here are ten steps we could make toward achieving energy freedom.

1.  There are 10 foreign government run oil companies that are much larger and have greater oil reserves than our Exxon Mobil. So, we need to quit blaming “big oil” here at home.  Even if they did make a record profit of $12 billion in less than 90 days.

2.  Congress and lawmakers should address or own domestic supply and production problems. If they increased our supply from our own sources and reserves, it could have an impact on the price we pay at the pump.

3.  We can make a difference by turning off lights at home, when not in use.  We can also save gas instead of time by slowing down our driving speed.  We can also save energy by keeping our thermostats set at 68 in the winter and 75 in the summer.

4.  Remember when grandma use to hang clothes out on the line and how nice and fresh they smelled? Or how about installing rain barrels to water the lawn instead of pumping water from the well.  If you aren’t on a well system, you can conserve water by using drip or soaker hoses.

5.  There must be a determination in this country to develop alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal technology.  There is is no room for the NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude.  This only slows progress that needs to happen.

6.  We need to build and reopen nuclear plants.  France gets 77% of its energy from nuclear sources.  We need to follow what they have learned in regard to safe usage of nuclear power and the recycling of nuclear waste.

7.  We should increase hydroelectric power in states where it is plentiful.  There should also be an environmental push to increase the survival rate of young salmon migrating to the Pacific regions

8.  If we develop and deploy our environmental cleanup strategies to developing economic powers such as China India and others, they could generate electricity from their abundant coal reserves.  This would drastically reduce air and water pollution in those countries, and make their people healthier.  Taking this step would also provide new markets for our American companies and create new jobs.

9  We need to produce more of our own oil and natural gas, while other technology and alternatives are being developed.  There is enough domestic natural gas offshore to supply the United States for the next 10 years easily.  The production technology is much safer than it was 30 plus years ago.  There are 109 offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that were directly hit during Hurricane Katrina without causing a significant spill.

10.  It will take patience and common since, as well as time and money to transform new technology and find new sources of energy.  The solutions won’t happen overnight, however, we need a dedicated government to get behind these issues and make sure these changes happen in a timely fashion.

There is no doubt, soaring oil prices could trigger global economic troubles – if it hasn’t already. Add to that, Japan and the U.S. have announced higher unemployment rates recently.

A statement from the five top energy consumers – the U.S., Japan, China, India and South Korea, claimed that “high prices are a menace to the world economy.”  They implied that the outrageous prices are against the better interests of both producers and consumers, and pose a “heavy burden” on developing nations. They agreed upon a solution, that more oil should be produced.  Say WHAT? When are we going to get off of oil in this country? Whatever happened to Project Independence (1974), that has now become Project Dependence?  What is behind this outrageous crisis?

Energy experts argue that most oil producers, do not have the ability to expand. Saudi Arabia, claims that there is “no oil shortage now- or in the future.” They claim they can increase their production by another 2 million barrels a day.  But, for whatever reason they are choosing not to. So, this out of control oil price spiraling, cannot be justified by the so called supply and demand theory.  We can’t blame any one political entity, or China imports, or Mexico and Venezuela for not selling to us. The problem can be blamed, however, on our own government. In particular, the CFTC (Commodities Futures Trading Commission). The government refuses to clamp down on energy futures stock trading. They allow leveraging by wide margins, based on speculation of what the markets are going to do.  It is this leveraging, that had much to do with the banking and real estate problems that have occurred in the last two years.

In the last 5-10 years there has been an influx of one billion more consumers infiltrating new and emerging markets world wide.  They are working, eating and buying more.  Because of this, there is more demand on all commodities.  This will continue to drive prices higher at many levels, no mater what we do.  Anything that can be sold on the global market will cost more. That is a fact.  From here on out, the entire world will determine what we pay for oil, gasoline, commodities and raw materials.  Gone are the days when the U.S led the global economy, and set a shining example for the world to follow. Let’s just hope we can find a way to become a self-sustaining nation once again.