Brummet's Conscious Blog

-- Quote of the Day -- “Peace is not a goal to be reached but a way of life to be lived” ~ Desmond Tutu -- Celebrating Heroes on the Planet -- I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Sweden, Finland, Norway & Switzerland on their fantastic ratings on their management of resources, waste & the environment. Japan & Belgium are other top performers in this regard. Canada, though ranking high in air quality, wilderness & forest management, fell short on waste, emission contributions & resource management. Some of this is due to the mountain pine beetle, which has plagued our region lately & is devastating huge portions of the forests on crown land within BC. So we have a lot to do & a short time to do it in. The encouraging thing is that there are several other countries who have tried out a variety of programs & with this knowledge of their successes & failures, we can develop a highly refined management plan that suits our country & it’s ...

-- More on Bio-fuels -- A few days ago I had put together a piece on bio-fuels. Recently, I learned some new information that you might find interesting. According to Global News (TV) there is a new BioMass Gasifier in place in the south western area of BC (Canada) that reuses waste from construction & mills - i.e. bark & sawdust - & creates several sources of energy through heat recovery equipment & hot water steam. This "green" energy source provides residents with energy to power their homes & offices at 1/3 of the cost of Natural Gas - which is getting expensive. The emisssions saved through this new biomass gasifier plant equates to 3,000 car's emissions per year. -- Holiday Relationship Tips -- The holidays can bring stress & relationship issues to the forefront. Earlier on Conscious Discussions, we had an interview with Sally Shields who has written a very insightful book on getting along with the in-laws. Here's one of my favorite quote...

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Dorothy Conlon was born in Japan and has lived a life of travel and adventure. After college, she shared a career with her Foreign Service husband Ned, which led them to live in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Pakistan for thirty years. Widowed in 1989, Dorothy embarked on her own journeys, teaching, volunteering and exploring around the world. Today's interview focused on Dorothy's experiences with Volunteer Adventure travel: what is it?, how do we participate in it?, or find resources that will lead to new opportunities? Learn what kind of commitment one might be looking at, as well as training, health, culture and safety issues involved in Volunteer Adventure Traveling. To access this archived hour-long interview click on the hyper-linked Conscious Discussions show title here in the blog or click on the link located on the right side of this blog... you can also click on the image below - any of these will get you there. ...

-- Eco-Event -- I was sent the following information through the Zero Waste San Diego group, of which I am a member: The City of Encinitas (California, USA) has partnered with the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation in giving away one free reusable bag per household (must be Encinitas resident). Support the cause by using only reusable bags on Dec 18th at the locations listed below: www.cityofencinitas.org/nobagday Giveaway locations: Encinitas City Hall 505 Vulcan Avenue 10am - 6pm Albertsons 134 N. El Camino Real Encinitas 4pm - 6pm Ralphs 125 N. El Camino Real Encinitas 4pm - 6pm Vons 262 N El Camino Real, Encinitas 4pm -6pm -- Quote of the Day -- “Solana Center has 2 main programs… I’m the manager of the composting program, but there is also a pollution prevention program. …For example that program will set up recycling programs for schools and multi family complexes …doing waste audits and then setting up the programs… and the education around that. That program also hosts ...

Whew! What a crazy time of year this is... schedules are overloaded and time is limited :) Today is no exception. Starting at 10 AM (Pacific) this morning I will be interviewing Steve Mayfield on the concept of seeing Downsizing as an opportunity for Rebirth rather than being the "end". This hour long interview will be archived in case you cannot make the live airing this morning, simply go to the Conscious Discussions website and the latest show will play automatically for you. The link for the show is located on the right side of this blog... * alternatively, click on the hyper-linked show title here in today's post - either of these will get you there. :) Then at 12:30 PM (Pacific) I will be the featured guest on the Free 2 Live 2 radio show. Host Trevor Carter and I will continue our discussion on the business side of the world of writing. Join us in Part 2 of " Help I am a Writer; Need to Get My Book Seen " blogtalkradio.com/free2live2 Later on this a...

-- Authors Read Radio -- Dr. Nancy Irwin graduated from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute with honors and the Director's Award. In addition to earning a doctorate in psychology, Nancy also has a master of music degree in Opera Performance. Her background as an opera singer, keynote speaker and stand-up comedian adds heart and humor to her healing. Today, Nancy shares an excerpt from her book - You Turn - on the Authors Read radio show. Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

-- Bio Fuel: What is that? -- The term Bio-fuel encompasses many variants of plant-based oils and alcohols that can be used as alternative fuel. While alternative fuel sources like these are certainly greener than traditional fuels, there is already strain on the global food production and that raises concerns. Other sources come from a "waste" product like bio-solids (human/animal manure), methane collected from landfills and composting facilities or used deep fryer oils. Because this is relatively a new technology with many different branches being explored, I’ve asked one of our more knowledgeable friends, Don Noble, to clarify the various terms that people in the industry use when referring to bio-fuels. “It's generally referred to as "cellulosic ethanol" production (meaning ethanol made from cellulose). However, cellulose can be turned into all forms of energy depending on how you transform it. Anaerobic (without oxygen) digestion generally converts it to...