Author Archives: UCNMatthia

Trump’s ‘Budget for a better America’ means worse climate change

by UCNMatthia Posted on March 11, 2019

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It’s budget day, and, well, oy vey. President Trump unveiled his “Budget for a Better America” Monday — and it’s giving everyone a serious case of déjà vu.

To the surprise of no one, Trump’s proposed budget would take an ax to many domestic programs — $650 million in programs and activities compared to current funding levels — including several environmental and energy-related activities. The total cost of programs that would be slashed is in the billions, but much of it is countered by a major boost to national security spending.

After Congress told Trump he couldn’t have for $5.7 billion to build his wall, he’s gone and asked for $8.6 billion for a barricade on the U.S.-Mexico border. (The art of the deal, folks!)

Here’s just some of what’s outlined in Trump’s proposal:

A 31 percent reduction in spending at the Environmental Protection Agency. Slashing the agency’s budget keeps his promises on the campaign trail to cut back on enforcement actions that hurt the bottom line of the fossil fuel industry.
The Department of Energy would see an 11 percent decrease from current funding, to $31.7 billion. That smaller budget would mean cuts to the DOE’s well-known innovation arm, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, which is instrumental in developing world-class energy technology needed to help curb climate change.
The Interior Department — now under the helm of newly-minted director (and oil lobbyist) David Bernhardt — would see a 14 percent cut, to $12.5 billion.
A repeal of the tax credit for electric vehicles
Selling off the Washington Aqueduct, which provides water to the metro D.C. area.
Privatizing federally owned transmission lines

On the plus side, lawmakers have declined to enact most of Trump’s previous funding requests. Now that Democrats are in the majority in the House, it’s even more likely this budget is going nowhere.

“This budget is the Republican approach to governing in a nutshell: Cut taxes for the super-rich and then, when it’s time to fund national priorities, lecture us about tightening our belts,” said Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, in a statement. “If you think environment conservation is an unaffordable luxury, you’ll love this plan. This isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on, it’s dead on arrival in Congress, and printing it was a waste of time.”

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The Most Environmentally Friendly Ways to Dispose of Dog Poo

by UCNMatthia Posted on September 24, 2016

If youre a dog parent, you know that cleaning up after your pup is a must. The big question, though, is how to dispose of your dogs poop. At first, it might sound like a no-brainer. Since poop is completely natural and biodegradable, you probably assume that throwing it in the garbage (usually wrapped in a biodegradable doggie bag) is no big deal. Unfortunately, thats not actually the case. Read on to discover why this tactic isnt great for the environment, and what you should do instead.

The Problem with Biodegrading

The truth is, even completely compostable items do not biodegrade when they are placed in landfills, as theres no oxygen present to kickstart the process. So, neither your dogs droppings nor the biodegradable doggie bag are going to break down completely if theyre relegated to the garbage.

Another issuewhen poop breaks down (if it gets the chance to do so at all), it releases methane gas. This is precisely why (well, one reason why) factory farms are such a huge burden for the environment.

What About Flushing?

The EPA, on the other hand, recommends flushing your dogs poo down the toilet. However, this comes with some pretty big problems, too. Water isnt exactly an expendable resource, and with water waste being a huge problem, most of us dont want to waste the 1.6 gallons of water we use every time we flush the toilet.

Additionally, many states here in the U.S. (especially California) are currently in a state of drought. Water conservation is an important practice, and flushing the toilet every time your dog poops is hardly environmentally friendly.

What You Should Do Instead

If you have a small dog and can conceptually use the toilet to dispose of his or her droppings, Grist recommends doing to in one swoop. Wait until youve used the toilet yourself, close the lid, head out to the yard to gather some waste, and flush it all together (provided there isnt way too much stuff in the toilet!).

Another option is to set up a pet waste digester. The Bark recommends punching holes in an old garbage can, cutting off the bottom and positioning it in your yard away from areas where you generally spend time (so as to eliminate the presence of unpleasant smells). Add a septic starter and a little water to the concoction, and throw doggie do in as needed. The holes poked into the bin will allow oxygen to degrade the matter, and eventually, itll provide a nice layer of compost for the yard area around it. Just make sure not to use this compost in your veggie garden!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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The Most Environmentally Friendly Ways to Dispose of Dog Poo

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An All-Natural DIY Oven Cleaner That Really Works

by UCNMatthia Posted on September 19, 2016

If youre anything like me, residue from last falls apple pie drippings might still be dried onto the bottom of the oven. To scrub it off, you have a couple of options: good old-fashioned elbow grease, or using the self-cleaning mode (if your oven has one), which typically means itll heat up to 8001,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The latter isnt exactly appealing when its still warm outside, andcould even damage the oven.

Elbow grease it is. Now that pie-making season is around the corner, its time to roll up your sleeves and get the job done. But dont bother with conventional oven cleanerthe chemicals and fumes can literally bepoisonous, potentially leading to issues like throat swelling and pain, vision loss, and organ damage. Yikes!

Know what can get the job done without the health hazards? Citrus, vinegar, and baking soda. Try this easy three-ingredient DIY thatll dissolve oven stains fast.

DIY Oven Cleaner

Ingredients:

Peels of 2 oranges or lemons
2 cupsapple cider vinegaror white vinegar
Baking soda

Instructions:

Combine citrus peels and vinegar in a mason jar and seal. Let sit 5 days. Transfer liquid to spray bottle.

Sprinkle baking soda all over inside of oven, and especially on grimy areas. Spray your oven cleaner onto surfacethe baking soda and vinegar will react and bubble up, helping to lift baked-on food remnants. Wait 15 minutes. Wipe surface clean.

Written by Dana Poblete. Reposted with permission from Thrive Market.

More from Thrive Market:
Transform Your Tub Into a Spa With These Fizzy, Floral DIY Bath Bombs
Here’s the Coolest Thing You Can Do With an Orange Peel
How to Make Your Own Soothing Antibacterial Cream That Really Works — No Chemicals Needed

Photo Credit: Thrive Market/YouTube

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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An All-Natural DIY Oven Cleaner That Really Works

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The Ultimate Guide to Womanhood, According to the Female Jihadis of ISIS

by UCNMatthia Posted on February 6, 2015

Mother Jones

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ISIS’s men aren’t the only ones publishing magazines and manifestos anymore. Last month, the al-Khansa Brigade—the entirely female ISIS militia that spreads pro-ISIS propaganda and recruits Middle Eastern women for ISIS service—reportedly published a semiofficial Arabic guide for women on living life under ISIS rule. On Thursday, the Quilliam Foundation, a London-based counterterrorism think tank, published a translated version of the guide.

The guide was published by the al-Khansa Brigade’s media arm and portrays the “ideal model for Muslim women,” according to its author, who describes it as “semiofficial” because ISIS leadership didn’t specifically approve it or endorse it. The guide is necessary, the author writes, because the role of the Muslim woman has become so confused by others “that both she and we have forgotten it…and (the reason for) our existence in this world.”

The 10 chapters are divided into three sections, combining quotations from the Koran and the Prophet Muhammed’s teachings, also known as hadiths, with the author’s experiences. The first part lists the failings of Western society in feminism, education, and science and the positive alternative offered in Islam. The second is an eyewitness account of life in ISIS’s strongholds, both the Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, and the third attempts to link life within the boundaries of the so-called Islamic State to life beyond, in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Quilliam Foundation‘s translator notes that the existence of the third chapter section, as well as the fact that the guide was never translated into English or another Western language by ISIS, suggest that Arab women are the primary audience—that it wasn’t meant for broader distribution. “There has been a huge amount of speculation about what the role of the women who join Islamic State—often dubbed jihadist brides—is,” wrote Quilliam Foundation director Haras Rafiq in a press release. “This translation…allows us to look past the propaganda bandied about on social media by Western supporters of IS, enabling us to get into the mind-set of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women who willingly join its ranks.”

For example, the author describes how women should conduct their daily lives in terms of study and community service. A woman’s one “true purpose,” she writes, is to serve a man, which is true “even in ‘liberal’ states and for today’s ‘free’ societies.” According to the author, a girl may be married between the ages of 9 and 17. Once she is a wife, she must remain at home, her face and body nearly always covered.

There are some exceptions. Women who join jihad are chosen for that life, but how is not described. Others who study religion, practice medicine, or teach are able to leave their homes and go into the world, but only for three days a week.

The author’s description of life in the war zones of Mosul and Raqqa is in radical contrast to other reports from the devastated areas. She traveled there, she wrote, to “check on the happy situation that Muslim women face” under Sharia law. She writes that “a sense of security” has swept over the land, with people living peacefully despite the ongoing battle with the US-led coalition; hospitals, shops, and schools, she adds, are much improved since the so-called Caliphate began.

The treatise concludes with a message to all enemies: “Throw the sputum of your culture, your civilization, and your thinking into the sea. God fights you and you are not of us and we are not of you.”

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The Ultimate Guide to Womanhood, According to the Female Jihadis of ISIS

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