Blog From A Frog

The burning of the rainforests releasing co2 is not enough to make climate change; however, the loss of life; yes (plants and animals) is very tragic.

We as humans continue to be completely out of touch in sharing this planet with other life forms. This is also another alarming reason I have major concerns pertaining to the unchecked, exponential population growth most often fostered by religious beliefs and arrogance. Due to our enormous population, we are encroaching on our wildlife around the world.

The short term, they lose.
The long term….. WE Lose!

Thank You Kieran Baker for your efforts and hard work!!!

Although the Frog and the The Prince is literally a hoot, it does point out a very concerning and ever-widening problem.

Frogs and their cousins apparently are very sensitive to UV (ultra-violet radiation) increases and are literally a serious problem indicator much like the canary in the coal mines which only died when there was a serious level of carbon monoxide, or methane in the coal mine.

Frogs and their cousins are literally dieing and disappearing at an alarming rate and very few people are taking notice of this canary in the world's ecology which is disappearing around the world.

Thanks to the increases in the European Space Launch facilitates, the European nations have viable competitive Ultra Violet and Ozone Depletion satellite sensors in orbit, reporting back to European based ground control sites which accurately report that information back to the world at large.

Why is that important enough for me to point out? Because previously only NASA had that capability and I have long suspected that NASA was NOT publicly publishing the accurate level and depth of the Earth's Ozone depletion. Even thou NASA is wholly funded thru American taxpayer funds, I strongly suspect NASA is not being truthful in relaying the extremely troubling atmospheric information collected by its array of weather satellites to public sector collection agency's where it is distributed world-wide.

America and the world at large, could begin dumping millions of tons of recycled cars and trucks (only steel) into the oceans to create artificial reefs, and the Ocean's salinity would begin producing more Ozone to help off-set that which is clearly missing. This practical solution however needs to be implemented immediately for helping the Ozone levels recover in the next 5 years.

The increase of skin Cancer around the world is directly related to the increases in UV rays striking the earth thru the weakened Ozone levels world-wide. Millions of people are dieing from the present condition and will continue to contract skin Cancer and die from that disease as long as the world turns a blind eye to this serious and developing problem.

Save the Rainforests!! Save the Frogs!!

Prince Charles should sell kisses for the cause!

Prince Charles is aging.
When is he becoming King.
Will Diana's prophecy come true that hewill never become King.

I love your show and guests but there are so many commercial breaks I find it very hard to follow

@Dodie and A. Smith, Oregon...I have been following your discussions of the mistreatment of Native American's and our mistreatment of our own environment with interest. I have often thought of the contradiction between how we look at Native Americans now and how we looked at them as recently as 100 years ago. Everyone who has lived in this country for a reasonable amount of time has almost certainly heard the phrase "The Only Good Indian is A Dead Indian" and you would likely have heard this in one of our popular Cowboy and Indian Movies from the 30's through the 50's. I have also heard of some of the atrocities carried out by some of our Mountain Men of the time against various Indian Tribes. Now it seems everyone you meet is trying to find some ancestral connection in their own backgrounds to one or another Native American Tribe. Kind of like on St Patrick's day when everyone somehow becomes Irish at least for a day. My own personal connection to Native
Americans is so far distant as to eliminate any real claim to that status. We in our family do lay claim to a distant relation to an Indian Woman from the Ottawa Tribe, Iriquois Nation named Madeline LaFlamboise who was laid to rest in a churchyard on Macinac Island, Michigan. She had been earlier married to a French Fur Trader by the name Marcotte. Family tradition is that he was killed by Indians on the west side of the Great Lakes for trying to cheat them in a Liquor trade. Who knows the real truth but it is fun to think about this weak link. My mother was a Marcotte whose father and grandparents were French Canadian in origin and who dabbled in the fur trade on the Great Lakes in partnership with the Ottawa Indians. The Ottawa's were know for their huge cargo bearing canoes which were used to collect furs from the tribes along the Western Great Lakes and bring them back to the French Traders further east. Unfortunately, many of my Aunts and Uncles on the maternal side were embarrased by the connection and did what they could to avoid the subject. So, what a difference 100 years can make!
On the issue of the destruction of our environment, I can't entirely sign on to A. Smith's theory of NASA for some reason known only to itself, holding back critical information regarding reduction of the Ozone Layer. I do; however, agree that the issue of Ozone Depletion and the likely effects on our environment is a serious problem and even if those who argue against Global Warming should turn out to be right, they are still wrong to resist whatever measures we can take to clean up our planet as if nothing else, it sure would make our world a more pleasant place to live in or on. World population is clearly a problem and the burning of the rain forests to provide more space for our growing population is clearly causing serious negative effects. The problem I haven't been able to solve is how do we reduce the birth rates in this world to a more sustainable level? Who wants to give up having their children. The Chinese by limiting their families to one child each may have made some progress but at the same time they have created many unforseen consequences. It is possible that the only control which will be effect against human overpopulation would be control instituted by nature itself. Scary thought but so is human overpopulation. Anyway, I have enjoyed all your input on the Native Americans and their history. Oh yes, off the subject perhaps but being a real dyed in the wool Irishman, you might be interested in reading up a little on the Potatoe Famine and it's effect on Irish Immigration to the America's. There were some unbelieveable things done to the Irish by the English who had occupied Ireland and taken up almost all the land and also how the immigrants from Ireland were treated by earlier European Immigrants when they arrived in the new world. The Irish were depicted as Ape Like, Dirty, Uneducated, Drinkers and Brawlers (some thruth to some of the preceding) and newspapers classified sections would invariably have something to the effect of INNA in their employment sections. This stood for something like Irish Need Not Apply. Seems as though many peoples have their stories to tell.

Health care reforms are badly needed right now, otherwise republicans request votes from insured people not from poor and uninsured people.

How can Ann compare herself with the working poor? Shame on you Ann

@ John H.

You are always welcome in our conversations! Join in when you want. I am really happy that you responded here. I think A. Smith and I are die hard philosophers! I enjoy discussing issues that originate from my heart! My passion for indigenous people’s plight around the world, the respect and awe of nature is at the very core of who I am. Martin Buber wrote an incredible book entitled: I and Thou. I think it only has about 50 pages, but the writing is so profound, I read it over several times, which I never do. It is based on not only looking at other life forms, but to be caught up in the experience of the other life form.

He discusses a particular tree that he has seen almost every day of his life, but one day, he did not just look at it… he became caught up in its experience. In doing so, he moved into a different plane. One of awareness!

Yes, I remember reading and hearing from old Irish friends regarding what the British did to the Irish. You understand the trauma is causes. It’s devastating and difficult for any culture to move on. It’s like a cancer within the culture.

The Great Lake area is very beautiful. I have never been to Michigan, but I have been to the New England states and I have been told that they are similar.

I am happy to see that other people are also concerned about over population. I am not sure how we can solve this unless Nature steps in like 1918 or the black plague. There are chemicals that can be placed in the water supply which will sterilize all male homo-sapiens for a couple of years. That would never happen here. When it comes to degradation of ecosystems, over population; I am not sure what we can do or if it is already too late and Nature will take its course. If anyone has any good ideas, I am always willing to partake!

John, I read some of your blogs, and trust me, you NEVER have to apologize for your beliefs or who you are! I am so very sorry, if I made you feel that way. I had a bad day at work as I did a difficult 5150 meaning I admitted a client into the hospital as she attempted suicide and it was very bad! I was on edge that night! I am very sorry!

@John H.,

My concerns and suspicions regarding NASA holding back on the full extent of the Ozone Depletion came after many weeks and days of pouring over their public releases, photos. Particularly those at the maximum period of depletion.

During the maximum period of depletion, I found at best that NASA routinely delayed distribution of the photos and data. Meaning, for those exposed it wouldn't do them any good to learn months later they were being radiated with high levels of UV rays. Cuts back on the panic I guess, like those public school children during the above ground Atomic Tests in Nevada, don't tell them it would cause a panic?

With 20-20 hindsight, the slaughter of the indigenous Native Caretakers of the land, have directly led to the ecological and environmental morass that exists today.

I would even submit that it was entirely predictable, however the European Settlers and European Religious leaders turned a deaf ear and blind eye to such concerns.

@ John H.

NASA and the government never tell us the whole truth. They do not want the Americans to know too much. I had a very real and personal experience with this.

From 1985 to 1987, three wonderful years I worked for DOD in Athens Greece. I was living in Greece when the Russian Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainian melted down.

On that faithful day in April of 1986 a disaster occurred in reactor #4, which has been widely regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power. As a result, reactor #4 was completely destroyed. The radioactive plume (about 11 metric tons) was released into the atmosphere which was then carried over parts of Europe due to the atmospheric winds and deposited the radioactivity affecting hundreds of millions of people.

During the hours immediately following the accident, increased levels of radiation were registered in Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Finland, Norway, Great Britain and Germany. Some of the alpha-emitting isotopes with long half lives, such as plutonium-239 and americium-241, will continue to remain in the environment for thousands of years.

The news hit all the papers, TV, radio stations, etc. I had a couple of good friends that worked in the AFRS Air Force Radio Station on Hellinkon Air Base which is now closed, in Athens Greece. It was chaos all over Europe. Greece and Italy were burning all their crops. Everyone was terrified. Because the base was small, there was no commissary (where you purchase food). We obtained everything from the local stores. Anyway, I went to several food markets and the shelves were completely bare. Talk about a shock!!! Not even a loaf of bread. I had made friends with some local people several of which had restaurants. They said all the restaurants will close as the families are saving the food. They did not care about making money. Everyone was afraid of eating anything after the accident. My x-husband worked right under the Base Commander, so naturally I went there. I thought we could be evacuated out of Greece as it was estimated we had 48 hours before the plume of radioactivity engulfs Greece. I talked to our Base Commander and his remark was the Europeans are making a big deal out of nothing. There was to be NO evacuation. I heard one of my friends over the radio saying to relax and the Europeans are over reacting. When I talked to him later that day, he told me that the Commander told him NOT to say anything but this. When the Plume hit Greece, the sirens went off warning the people of Greece to go inside their homes and say for 24 hours. It was a school day and I knew our school was open, which was off base, as I often interfaced between our base and our school. That was my job as a psychotherapist working with individuals experiencing PTSD and/or chemical addictions as they are the parents of the children. Moving right along….… I asked the school to close and they said they had direct orders Not to close. I asked the school to keep the children inside and not let them out to play. The Greek Police were the school’s security and also requested the children need to remain inside. The order was given by the base commander that operations would remain normal.

I apologize if this is long and drawn out. My point being…. Our government did not want to deal with this issue… I suppose because they did not want the expense of evacuating all the families. To date, I do not know why. All I know from personal experience, is our government deceives us when it is convenient. There are other experiences I could tell you, but will not in a public forum as I was debrief before I came back to the US on some very “hot issues” I became aware of while working in that capacity.

@Dodie, thank you so very much for sharing that personal insight and information with us!

Within hours of the initial Chernobyl meltdown, US Air force Surveillance aircraft would have been alerted and began actively charting and following the spread of radiation and highly ionized minerals that were released.

If citizens in neighboring country's had been immediately alerted, they would have had ample time to at least take doses of iodine to protect them against the direct destruction of their thyroid glands thru radioactive iodine uptake in their body's being stored there.

A large number of American citizens (including me) were deeply disappointed with the US Governments total lack of any heads up on that huge radioactive release as it spread across the world. Unlike many Russian civilians that often have a small portable/personal radiological detection device, very few American civilians have one, much less monitor one on a regular basis.