I woke up!

Rights Boy has finally woken up from a long winter’s nap. And there is still eight inches of snow on the ground outside! When is this global warming thing going to kick in around here?

Today, Rights Boy wants to talk about a couple of his good friends.

First, I’d like to introduce you to Gul DuCurry – pride of the Cardassian Empire.

Don’t mess with Gul DuCurry; if you run into her in a dark alley, slowly turn the other way and run, because she will kick your ass!

Her nickname is Golda Curry, and you can see her demonstrating martial arts and coordinating competitions at celebrAsian, Iowa’s 6th Annual Asian Heritage Festival, on May 17th at the State Capitol East Complex. For more information, check out the site http://www.celebrasian.org/.



Second, please meet Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean hangs out on the Des Moines Register’s web site, http://www.desmoinesregister.com/, commenting on news stories and blogs. He’s sort of a Will Rogers, Mark Twain kind of guy; he can’t come up with anything original himself, but he likes to write short zingers at others.

He is often featured in the ‘Reader Comment’ sidebars in the printed version of the Register, recently on topics including the Drake Men’s basketball team, the endless Iowa winter, Urbandale pool situation, bike trails, and Erin Crawford’s garden.


So, summarizing me and my friends:

Rights Boy blogs here,

Mike Burgher writes letters to Editors, Congress, and anyone else who still accepts his mail,

Mr. Clean writes commentary on the Register’s website,

Gul DuCurry kicks your ass.

Any questions?

Click on the little underlined comment thingy below, and leave me a comment!

In 2008, a 100 Percent Chance of Alarm

Oh, my. You know your cause may be in trouble when the New York Times goes after it.



The Times has a nice article on global warming and the “availability entrepreneurs;” activists, journalists and publicity-savvy scientists who selectively monitor the globe looking for newsworthy evidence of a new form of sinfulness, burning fossil fuels. This group has started an “availability cascade,” a self-perpetuating process: the more attention a danger gets, the more worried people become, leading to more news coverage and more fear.

From the article:

A year ago, British meteorologists made headlines predicting that the buildup of greenhouse gases would help make 2007 the hottest year on record. At year’s end, global temperature average was actually lower than any year since 2001; little news coverage.

When the Arctic sea ice last year hit the lowest level ever, it was big news and heralded as a sign that the whole planet was warming. Meanwhile, a large part of Antarctica has been cooling, but that was pretty much ignored.

Hurricane Katrina was supposed to be a harbinger of the stormier world predicted by some climate modelers. When the next two hurricane seasons were the calmest in three decades, the availability entrepreneurs changed the subject. Droughts in California and Australia became the new harbingers of climate change (never mind that a warmer planet is projected to have more, not less, precipitation over all).

In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Mr. Gore didn’t dwell on the complexities of the hurricane debate, nor did he mention how calm the hurricane season had been. Instead, he alluded somewhat mysteriously to “stronger storms in the Atlantic
and Pacific.”

So, I guess the lesson is, no matter what the weather in 2008, be afraid – be very afraid…

Low Impact Crime

Crime is pretty hard on the environment. Creating, transporting and maintaining a weapon, shooting a handgun or exploding a bomb - these causes a lot of pollution.

So it’s nice to see our local Des Moines metro criminals think about sustainability and go low impact as they do their green crime thing.


A kid armed with a sharp pencil held off authorities for a half-hour at the Polk County juvenile facility today. It was a brilliant move, waving his weapon around and exploiting the rampant fear of getting poked with a pencil lead.







A thug pulled a stick from his sleeve and whacked a man in the face last night, after the man was told to move and refused.





Des Moines police stopped a man who had attempted suicide with his sword. Police confiscated the sword and a spear and battle ax.

An inmate at the Polk County jail has vowed to starve himself unless he is given a vegetarian diet. That’ll teach ‘em.

Rights Boy loves the Earth

Rights Boy sometimes cracks wise at the dire predictions of climate change and the motives of our global prophets. Downright cynical.

But he does believe in conservation, recycling and consuming less instead of more; especially if he can save some money. So he will occasionally give advice on important green issues or solutions.


Rights Boy loves the Earth. Our planet is so-o-o hot.

The core is molten iron around 1,800 degrees F. The crust is mostly silicate rock with a wonderful ability to store vast amounts of heat. The greenhouse effect is the best of all; it keeps the atmosphere and surface warm enough to support human life.

Rights Boy was recently talking to his good friend Andy, who has decided to exploit the Earth’s hotness through geothermal.

Geothermal is a new green technology, used since the time of ancient Rome, which takes advantage of the heat stored in the ground. A steady supply of energy is captured and moved from the Earth to and through the home. Once installed, it uses much less energy, saves ongoing money and reduces pollution compared to conventional furnaces and air conditioners. Andy estimates the pollution reduction equivalent to taking four cars off the road (!!)


This morning I marveled at Andy’s wisdom and selfless act to reduce pollution and save money. So Rights Boy went to the gas station, filled up, dedicated this latest tank to his friend, and turned the thermostat up three degrees when he got home.

Seriously though, Rights Boy thinks geothermal is a good thing. Does anyone else use geothermal and what do you think?

A crime against humanity

Rights Boy was amused that the Register issued a thistle to United Nations official Jean Ziegler, chiding his grammar, expertise and conclusions for likening ethanol production to a "crime against humanity."

The corporate welfare and subsidies for ethanol production in the United States is probably a crime against taxpayers, but it’s hardly a crime against humanity.

Perhaps now the Register and others will begin to recognize that the United Nations is an organization of politicians - not scientists, not global environmental prophets, not even lobbyists for the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Every UN diplomat and official has his own country’s self-interest, agenda, and product to sell to the rest of us.

So the next time someone from the UN, or the Vatican, or even a Hollywood Academy Award winner tells you that climate change is somehow a crime against the planet caused by human existence, think about it. If he tells you it’s the end of civilization as we know it, we can’t possibly adapt, we should be riddled with guilt and start purchasing carbon offsets, think about his motive and what he is really selling.

Sometimes it’s snake oil.

Be scared. Be very scared…

Which of these three is the scariest?

A Hillary Jack-O-Lantern?

A Spiral Compact Florescent Light bulb?

Or Mike Gravel?

The correct answer is the Compact Florescent Light bulb!

Compact Florescent Light bulbs (CFLs) use about 75 percent less energy and are supposed to last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs, with a savings of $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.

CFLs are often touted as ‘saving the environment’ and the product is pushed extensively by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)

Ironically CFLs are one of the most environmentally unfriendly products you can use. If you improperly dispose of a CFL or break the bulb, they may release mercury and vapors which are harmful to human and ecological health. You do NOT want to meet a thug in the back alley wielding a Compact Florescent Light bulb (CFL) as a weapon.

And woe unto you if you happen to break one in your house! I think if Rights Boy breaks one of these at home, he’ll just sell the house rather than clean up the environment.

Following is a summary of instructions from the EPA if this happens:

1. Have the following items ready for the cleanup:

ziplock bags (4-5)
trash bags (2 to 6 mm thick)
rubber, nitrile or latex gloves
paper towels
cardboard or squeegee
eyedropper
duct tape
shaving cream and small paint brush
flashlight
powdered sulfur (optional)

2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

3. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag. Use disposable gloves - do not use bare hands.

4. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

5. Place all cleanup materials in a second plastic bag and seal it.

6. Check to see if your state prohibits trash disposal of CLFs. (If your state prohibits, you are SOL…)

7. Place the sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

9. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet, first remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.

10 .If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

11. CFLs contain mercury sealed within the glass tubing. If the broken CFL releases mercury, have everyone else leave the area; don't let anyone walk through the mercury on their way out. Make sure all pets are removed from the area. Open all windows and doors to the outside; shut all doors to other parts of the house. DO NOT allow children to help you clean up the spill.

12. If a mercury spill occurs on carpet, curtains, upholstery or other absorbent surfaces, these contaminated items should be thrown away in accordance with the disposal means outlined below. Only cut and remove the affected portion of the contaminated carpet for disposal.

13. Locate visible mercury beads. Use a squeegee or cardboard to gather mercury beads. Use slow sweeping motions to keep mercury from becoming uncontrollable. Take a flashlight, hold it at a low angle close to the floor in a darkened room and look for additional glistening beads of mercury that may be sticking to the surface or in small cracked areas of the surface. Note: Mercury can move surprising distances on hard-flat surfaces, so be sure to inspect the entire room when "searching."

14. Use the eyedropper to collect or draw up the mercury beads. Slowly and carefully squeeze mercury onto a damp paper towel. Place the paper towel in a zip lock bag and secure. Make sure to label the bag as directed by your local health or fire department.

15. After you remove larger beads, put shaving cream on top of small paint brush and gently "dot" the affected area to pick up smaller hard-to-see beads. Alternatively, use duct tape to collect smaller hard-to-see beads. Place the paint brush or duct tape in a zip lock bag and secure. Make sure to label the bag as directed by your local health or fire department.

16. OPTIONAL STEP: It is OPTIONAL to use commercially available powdered sulfur to absorb the beads that are too small to see. The sulfur does two things: (1) it makes the mercury easier to see since there may be a color change from yellow to brown and (2) it binds the mercury so that it can be easily removed and suppresses the vapor of any missing mercury. Where to get commercialized sulfur? It may be supplied as mercury vapor absorbent in mercury spill kits, which can be purchased from laboratory, chemical supply and hazardous materials response supply manufacturers. Note: Powdered sulfur may stain fabrics a dark color. When using powdered sulfur, do not breathe in the powder as it can be moderately toxic. Additionally, users should read and understand product information before use.

17. If you choose not to use this option, you may want to request the services of a contractor who has monitoring equipment to screen for mercury vapors. Consult your local environmental or health agency to inquire about contractors in your area. Place all materials used with the cleanup, including gloves, in a trash bag. Place all mercury beads and objects into the trash bag. Secure trash bag and label it as directed by your local health or fire department.

18. Contact your local health department, municipal waste authority or your local fire department for proper disposal in accordance with local, state and federal laws.

19. Remember to keep the area well ventilated to the outside (i.e., windows open and fans in exterior windows running) for at least 24 hours after your successful cleanup. Continue to keep pets and children out of cleanup area. If sickness occurs, seek medical attention immediately.

Pretty scary…

Global Warming: How long can you tread water?

This week’s global warming predictions included oceans rising by one meter (about 39 inches) in the next 50 to 150 years, regardless of any future actions to curb greenhouse gases.

Thankfully, down from earlier predictions of 30 feet and more!!

The article is accompanied by this picture. (If not with the article anymore, go here and look for the article Rising Sea Waters To Wash Away US History.)

Apparently the rise of one meter will drown the Statue of Liberty and New York City will fight some sort of Armageddon lightning storm.

Between the global warming, terrorists, illegal aliens, obesity and "the gays," Rights Boy is getting scared shitless.

What else should we be scared of?

Live Earth – Attacking Climate Change One Gyration at a Time

Five favorite moments from Live Earth, the seven-continent, 24-hour aging-rocker orgy to raise awareness on global warming:


1. Madonna yelling, 'If you want to save the planet, I want you to start jumping up and down. Come on, mother-[bleepers]! Let me see you jump!" (Madonna owns nine homes and has a "carbon footprint" nearly 100 times larger than the norm.)


2. The demonstration on how to wrap gifts in old potato-chip bags


3. The hundreds of iPhone advertisements


4. Supermodel Petra Nemcova blaming earthquakes on global warming


5. The many public service announcements that buying digital music is more environment friendly than CDs. (Al Gore is on the Board at Apple, the largest digital music retailer…)

The most conservative assessment of the flights taken by the superstars is 222,623.63 miles between them - nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transported their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher.

The total carbon footprint of the event, taking into account the artists’ and spectators’ travel to the concert, and the energy consumption on the day, is likely to be at least 31,500 tons of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com. Throw in the television audience and it comes to a staggering 74,500 tons. The concert will also generate some 1,025 tons of waste at the concert stadiums - much of which will go directly into landfill sites.

Next time, let’s have a multi-continent, 24-hour event, featuring large empty stadiums, no performers, no spectators, no SUVs or big limos, and fly nobody anywhere. No carbon footprint, no new crap for landfills.