I agree with Mr. Kokesh. Knowing what you're fighting for is essential. If it's all just random, meaningless violence, no matter how you dress it up, your soldiers will see through it. Imagine a work environment in which nobody knows what their company actually produces. Then add the constant presence of death and an atmosphere that has a reputation for being unsympathetic, not to mention the possibility of another Fort Hoodesque incident. And on top of that, people back home condemn their mission. Without a goal, you have no clue when (or if) you'll ever be done and get to go home. I can't imagine a better combination for record suicide rates.  View

Thank you for your report and links! I was there during that time stationed in West Germany. We used to drive to Berlin every few months or so, shopped in the stores in the East, and really saw the results of the planned economy and dictatorship first hand. The press has found some people who say they had a better life in the East than what they have now. I cannot know what they're lives are like now, but from a health standpoint alone, the environment is better in the East now than it ever was or could have been under Communism. Congratulations to the German People!!!  View

Although Rio may be Brazil’s most beautiful city, it is also one of its most troubled. The favelas which blanket the slopes of surrounding hillsides house approximately 20 percent of the city’s residents and are often dangerous, unsanitary, and lacking in basic services such as water, sewerage, and, to a lesser extent, electricity. Many of the city’s poor have no jobs, no access to schools, and only limited access to medical care. However, literacy rates for Rio are high, nearly 90 percent, and a system of public hospitals and clinics provides at least some medical care to the city’s poorest residents. Police corruption is widespread. Environmental pollution is a problem throughout the metropolitan region, and the waters of Guanabara Bay are considered too polluted for safe bathing. Rio experienced serious crime problems in the early 1990s, when powerful criminal gangs took over entire favela neighborhoods. The murders of homeless children in 1993 by corrupt police officers acting on behalf of commercial interests drew international attention to Rio’s social and criminal problems. With a murder rate of 61 per 100,000 people in 1994, Rio was one of the world’s most violent cities. This was more than twice the rate of 28 per 100,000 for São Paulo.  View

Great to see an increased awareness of this important issue. We haven't had our bin emptied since the beginning of the year because we reuse, recycle and compost all that we can! Each week we create less than 100gms of waste - all made up of non recyclable plastics and composite materials. We still live a 'normal' lifestyle with all the trappings of 21st century life, but we make careful consumer choices. You can find out more about what we have done on our website; our aim is to show that a 'zero waste' household is achievable, relatively straight forward and is not reserved for people who are totally self sufficient! Ok, so we're not exactly ZERO waste, but if everyone created less than 100gms of landfill per week, we'd make a massive difference. Sure it requires a little more time and thought, but the environment and we are worth it!  View

I agree, this will all be laughed at one day. I belive my children will grow up in an environment where the recreational use of pot will be similar to alcohol without the risk of becoming addicted.  View

I think focusing on solar energy is a good start. I don't understand how the effects are conceived to be so negative. Ultimately, we will be deciding which actions would be best at protecting the environment which means which cause the most positive change and the least negative.  View

1 square per sitting? seriously cheryl crow? she must be quite dirty... sorry environment, i'm going to use as much TP as I need.  View

This is a really interesting debate! Normally environmental concerns pull on economic ones as well. I guess that's can't be ignored with toilet paper use. But I'm not sure whether I would sacrifice paper for something else. But perhaps the Europeans have it right in this battle: bodays anyone?  View

If we just use recycle environmentalists for fertilizer, we can save the planet a lot faster.  View

I think that some people are overreacting to the facebook poll, but I definitely agree that it is a different situation with Obama than any other president. The fact that death threats are a more prevalent issue with Obama makes the poll, which might have been a joke, a bigger deal. I agree with the source that said we need to look at the environment that created this poll, not at whether social networking sites need to monitor more.  View