Monday, December 27, 2010

Green Gifts That Keep On Giving

Merry Old Santa Claus art by Thomas Nast

Mama gnome bundled up and braced herself for her holiday shopping.

She pulled down her pointy hat and set her drink of morning elixir by the gnome computer.

Green gifts galore flashed on the screen.

Natural Resources Defense Council's website features all these wonderful green gifts:

Help fight against global warming.

image by Robert A. Rohde, Global Warming Art


You can adopt a wolf in Yellowstone Park.


photo by Schliebe, Scott, U.S. Fish and Wildlife


Please visit NRDC and consider these green gifts that keep on giving.


Give the best gift of all and go green.


(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A Grateful Gnome



Here is something Mama gnome is thankful for...

According to this report:

"The Obama administration is setting aside 187,000 square miles in Alaska as a "critical habitat" for polar bears, an action that could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas."

"Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks at the Interior Department, said the designation would help polar bears stave off extinction, recognizing that the greatest threat is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change."

Here is a movie by Sophie Keller and Oli Barry showing what might happen if there were only two polar bears left in the world...


video from: liveartheatre


Mama gnome and the gnomelets chant: "Save energy...save the polar bears!"

On this Thanksgiving Day please celebrate and give thanks.

Help save the polar bears and go green.

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, friendly Gnome's Blog

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Take That Plastic Bag Monster!

Mama gnome almost fell off her stoop when she read this

Los Angeles Times report:
"L.A. County Passes Sweeping Ban On Plastic Bags"


Please pardon Mama gnome while she whoops and hollers like a mad gnome.

"Wooohoooo! Woot! Woot! Woot! Woot! Take that Plastic Bag Monster!"

The bane of Mama gnome's existence is this wretched creature, Plastic Bag Monster.

It lives and grows in size in its evil lair, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, fed by its minions of trash monsters including plastic bottles, plastic caps, styrofoam monsters, disposable plastic cutleries, take out containers and by its most prolific minion...plastic bags...

"In Los Angeles County alone, 6 billion plastic bags are used each year, an average of 1,600 bags per household a year. Government figures show that only about 5% are recycled."

And for the whole state of California, 19 billion plastic bags a year. Nineteen Billion.


video from: Orbit26200


Last September, California was poised to pass a sweeping plastic bag ban.

Mama gnome was heartbroken when the bill failed.

It was killed by heavy advertising and lobbying by Plastic Bag Monster's creator: the plastic bag manufacturing industry.

So on that cold September day, Plastic Bag Monster laughed its evil laugh.

But today on this cold November day, Mama gnome laughs back at Plastic Bag Monster's face and she says, "Take that Plastic Bag Monster!"

Please bring your reusable bags everywhere: groceries, bookstores, department stores, farmer's markets...everywhere...so you'll always have one to use instead of taking a plastic bag.

Please bring your own reusable containers to restaurants for your left-overs instead of using take out styrofoam container monsters.

Please help Mama gnome defeat the Plastic Bag Monster and go green.

(c)2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The Year of the Dying Tiger


photo from:Mayankkatiyar

According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the year 2010 is the year of the Tiger.

Mama gnome would like to categorize it as the Year of the Dying Tiger.

During the beginning of the 20th century there were an estimated 100,000 tigers.

And now a century later, 100 years later, the tiger population has decreased to less than 3,000 tigers in the wild.

Humans have killed off 97% of the tiger population.

Just in the last ten years tiger habitat has decreased by 40%

What is pushing this animal into extinction?

According to IUCN:

"...consider habitat loss and poaching for trade to be primary causes of a significant decline in Tiger range and numbers."

"Despite strong international action to eliminate it, illegal trade persists...Although all countries have banned use and manufacture of tiger bone, illegal production persists in several Asian countries, especially in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam."

"In China there are several operations engaged in intensive breeding ("farming" of tigers), with the captive population reportedly reaching 5,000. They are pressuring the government to allow them to produce tiger products, and several are already engaged in illegal production of Tiger bone wine."

"Tiger farming perpetuates and threatens to re-ignite consumer demand."



video from: BBCWorldwide


What can we do to help?

Visit WWF's Save Tigers Now

Educate family, friends, children about the plight of the tigers.

Don't buy fur, be it tiger fur, fox fur, or any other animal because it perpetuates the problem.

Don't buy tiger medicine. Don't use tiger medicine.

Report businesses or people who trade in tiger parts, products. It's illegal and Mama gnome would like to add..."downright #$#^#." That's why.

Don't buy tiger wine.

And Mama gnome would like to add, "Why in the world would you want to drink wine fermented from the bones of this animal? Or any other animal actually...Drink morning elixir instead, so vital for life."

Part of the problem that is killing tigers is habitat destruction, so be aware of products you buy, paper products which contribute to the destruction of their habitat.

Please visit Natural Resources Defense Council to see lists of green paper products from toilet paper to paper towels.

Use cloth napkins, recycle old shirts and cut them up to be used instead of paper towels for wiping down counters.

Save our trees and forests and save the tigers' home.

Please help the dying tiger...and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Look Up

Mama gnome lives in an old gnome house shaded by ancient Sumac trees...surrounded by plants and trees that thrive because of Daddy gnome's green thumbs.

Once in a while the old mother gnome ventures out of her burrow...past the brambles...past the jagged dusty cliffs and...

she looks up...


(c)Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog



(c) Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog



(c) Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog


(c) Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Once in a while, if you're feeling out of sorts...lost..or down...just look up...and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Lowly Toilet Paper Saves Majestic Trees...Saves the World

Mama gnome went to Gnomeco to buy ecofriendly toilet paper.

But when she rounded the corner, Mama gnome almost dropped her pointy hat.

She saw the usual pallet where they stored super green toilet paper was now stacked with firewood!

Was it not enough to take away the good toilet paper, but they had to replace it with more cut down trees for future burning and releasing of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?

Did Gnomeco intend for Mama gnome to... as young gnomelet would put it... "freak out" in the middle of the household stuff aisle?

Mama gnome stood and stared at the pallet of firewood.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times but the firewood remained.

She trudged around the next few aisles as fast as her gnome legs could trudge...but saw no sign of the super ecofriendly toilet paper.

Mama gnome made a mental note to head to Trader Gnome's to buy green toilet paper since Gnomeco declared super green toilet paper... toilet paper ingrata.

If you wonder why Mama gnome was upset with Gnomeco it's because not all toilet paper are created equal.

The most bought toilet paper and readily available toilet paper are made from virgin fiber which means from chopped down trees.

The least bought toilet paper and hard to find toilet paper are made from recycled paper, and the best toilet paper would be made from recycled paper with high postconsumer paper waste content.

This quiet unassuming toilet paper saves trees because it's made from recycled paper instead of virgin tree fiber.

According to this post, American humans use "about 50 pounds of tissue products per person every year. This is 50% more than the consumption rate in Western Europe and Japan."

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states:

"The pulp and paper industry may contribute to more global and local environmental problems than any other industry in the world. Paper manufacturers reach deep into species-rich forests for virgin timber, razing trees, polluting waterways and destroying precious wildlife habitat. Pulp and paper mills that use virgin timber are major generators of hazardous air pollutants, including dioxins and other cancer-causing chemicals. And the industry is the third largest industrial emitter of global warming pollution."

"The virgin timber-based pulp and paper industry is the third greatest industrial emitter of global warming pollution. Its carbon dioxide emissions are projected to double by 2020."


According to NRDC,
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.





video from: rainforestproject

Please visit NRDC's site to see the list of paper products.

Pick the quiet unassuming toilet paper that saves the world.

Pick Clark Kent and Superman in one fell swoop and go Green!

(c)2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Friday, October 8, 2010

10-10-10 Global Climate Work Party for 350.org

10-10-10 not only stands out as a very interesting date,

it is 350.org's Global Work Party Day.

photo from 350.org


Make October 10,2010 a meaningful day by doing something to help reduce carbon emissions.

Please visit 350.org to find out what activity you can participate in or if you want to register your own climate action for 10-10-10, just log on to their website at 350.org.


video from: 350org


According to Bill McKibben's blogpost for 350.org:

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 392ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to below 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.
Please help reduce our carbon emissions.


On 10-10-10...walk, use reusable bags, plant trees, plant vegetables, turn off unnecessary lights and appliances, eat vegetables...make everyday meaningful and Go Green...

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Friday, September 24, 2010

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

This animal is known for its stripes.

Of its three species, two are listed as endangered and vulnerable because of threats from hunters and habitat destruction, climate change, and farming.

One subspecies, "the quagga, has been hunted to extinction for meat, hides, and to preserve feed for domesticated stock."

Here is a picture of the extinct quagga:


Photo: F. York, London, Regent's Park ZOO, 1870

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the ZEBRA... Mama gnome wants to invite you to the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Please visit Ocean Conservancy to see where you can participate or you can start your own cleanup project and register it at their website.


Zebras are found in Africa. Their habitats vary from Africa's mountains, grasslands and savannas, woodlands, coastal hill, and thorny scrublands.

Zebras "are very adaptable grazers." Their diet include: short or long grasses, shrubs, bark and leaves.

Zebras are "pioneers and will be the first to enter tall or wet pastures. Wildebeests and gazelle follow once the zebras have trampled and clipped the vegetation shorter."

There are three species of zebra:
  • the plains zebra
  • Grevy's Zebra
  • mountain zebra


Here is a picture of a plains zebra in Tanzania.


photo by: Muhammad Mahdi Karim (www.micro2macro.net)

The plains zebras have the more stable population out of the three species. But they are also threatened by poachers, habitat destruction and farming.


Here is a picture of an endangered Grevy's zebra:


photo by Mara 1

The Grevy's zebra is the largest species of zebra. It has large ears and narrower stripes. It is listed endangered by IUCN. The Grevy's zebras are threatened by: hunters who profit from the zebras' skins, habitat destruction and by climate change causing severe drought and the disappearance of their watering holes.


Increased farming land and fencing threaten all zebras, limiting or restricting their access to watering holes.

Here is a picture of a mountain zebra resting in the sun in Louisville Zoo:


photo by: Ltshears - Trisha M Shears

Zebras are also threatened by wars.

"Recent civil wars in Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda have caused dramatic declines in all wildlife populations, including those of plains zebra. It is now extinct in Burundi. Civil war in Angola during much of the past 25 years has devastated its wildlife populations, including its once-abundant plains zebra, and destroyed the national parks administration and infrastructure."


Here is a video of a Grevy's zebra:


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would like to don her striped camouflage, hide behind tall grasses and stun poachers and hunters who hunt down these beautiful animals with wild braying, neighing and whinnying.

Please help save our Mystery Animal of the Day, the endangered zebras, and go green.
(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Walk on the Beach with Mama Gnome

Mama gnome brushed her curly gray hair before donning her pointy hat.

She turned and twirled in her long brown tunic and checked her reflection in the mirror.

Mama gnome has a hot date.

Shhhhh....No, not with Daddy gnome.

Mama gnome has a date with the OCEAN.

This coming Saturday, September 25, 2010, will be the International Coastal Cleanup Day!


video from oceanconservancy

According to Ocean Conservancy's Report:

Of the 43 items tracked during the Cleanup, the top three items of trash found in 2008 were cigarette butts, plastic bags, and food wrappers/containers.

During the 2008 cleanup, volunteers collected 11,077 diapers in the Philippines, 19,504 fishing nets in the United Kingdom, and 1,362,741 cigarette butts in the US.



Here is a seaturtle trapped in an abandoned fishing net.


photo from:http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2429.htm

Please visit Ocean Conservancy and sign up wherever you are in the world and participate in International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 25, Saturday. And it doesn't have to be at the beach. You can help cleanup a park, a river, a waterway. Anywhere you can make a difference.

If there is no cleanup action close to you, you can start your own and register it with Ocean Conservancy through this site.

Mama gnome and the gnome family will be heading out to help clean up and take tally of how many of Plastic Bag Monster minions are lurking in the sand.

Please help defeat Plastic Bag Monster everyday, walk with Mama gnome...and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Deforestation of Africa

Mama gnome wonders if you knew about the deforestation of Africa?

From WWF:

"A new study co-authored by a World Wildlife Fund scientist documents waves of forest degradation advancing like ripples in a pond 75 miles across East Africa in just 14 years."

WWF reports most logging is illegal. In addition, illegal charcoal burning is done by local people who don't have any other source of income.

"A trade survey by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimated that in 2005 some 96 percent of harvested timber was exported illegally, losing the Tanzanian government an estimated $58 million of revenue."

It's been reported that:

"In West Africa, nearly 90 percent of the original moist forest is gone, and what remains is heavily fragmented and degraded."

Mama gnome wants to emphasize:
  • Most logging is illegal
  • "96% of harvested timber was exported illegally"
  • Poverty forces people to cut down trees or burn trees because they have no other source of income. What happens when all the trees are gone?
  • Almost 90 % of West Africa's original forests are gone.....That's ninety percent obliterated.
Please watch this video by the Jane Goodall Institute:


video by: JaneGoodallInstitute

But what is really sad...the slashing and burning of forests is happening in other parts of the world, Mama gnome is quite stricken to say.

Please visit WWF and the Jane Goodall Institute to read about this and pass the information to other humans.

Please help save our forests and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's blog

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Mama gnome takes a hike

Mama gnome donned her pointy hat, tightened her grip on her walking stick and walked up this path.



(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog


She breathed in fresh air and looked up the side of the hill and saw this:


(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog


She marveled at the beauty of these wildflowers:

(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog


She saw a peculiar hole carved into the side of the mountain. She glanced around and hurried away from this site.


(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog


She nodded her head and made notes of the contrasting colors of dark brown branches and bright yellow green leaves.

(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog



She wondered what happened to this shrubbery with its burnt and withered branches and leaves.

(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog


She spoke with this gentle giant.

(c) Friendly Gnome's Blog



Mama gnome gazed at the beautiful landscape and whispered, "Thank you."



Mama gnome took a hike. She urges you to do the same and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog
(c) all pictures by Mama gnome

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Mama Gnome Takes on Plastic Bag Monster 2010

Mama gnome shook her head. Her pointy hat came loose, revealing her gray wiry hair.

The old gnome drew herself as tall as she could, all three feet and something inches of gnome stature.

She shouted, "No! No! No, Plastic Bag Monster! Away you vile beast!"

The putrefied, liquefied, partially melted, but never biodegraded unearthly creature approached Mama gnome.

Remnants of plastic cups, styrofoam takeaway containers, unrecognizable pieces of plastic were left in the beast's wake.

Mama gnome turned her face away in horror.

The monster reached over and gripped her arms with its filthy plastic ties and shook her.

"Mama gnome! Mama gnome!"

Huh? Mama gnome thought, Plastic Bag Monster's voice sounded a lot like Daddy gnome's voice.

"Mama gnome, wake up!"

Mama gnome opened her eyes and saw Daddy gnome's face. His eyes dark with worry.

"Daddy gnome! I was dreaming. I was dreaming of 'IT'."

Daddy gnome nodded. No other words needed to be said.

He knew IT could only mean one thing, the bane of Mama gnome's existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

It was almost one year ago, when Mama gnome fought against her nemesis in the epic battle of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster 2009.

But Plastic Bag Monster lived and survived because humans continue to use flimsy plastic bags, take out styrofoam containers, disposable plastic forks, spoons, cups. All minions and allies of Plastic Bag Monster.

Together they coalesce and hide out in their secret evil lair, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

On September 25, 2010 Mama gnome and the gnome family will battle against Plastic Bag Monster and his minions on the 25th International Coastal Cleanup Day.

According to Ocean Conservancy:
During the 2009 Cleanup, volunteers found 18,000 derelict fishing nets in the United Kingdom alone, and 70,000 plastic bottles in Nicaragua. In 2009, 60 percent of all debris items found on just one day were "disposable."




video from: oceanconservancy



video from: National Geographic


To find out how you can participate please visit Ocean Conservancy's site where you can look for locations all over the world participating in this cause.

If there isn't one close to you, you can sign up your own clean up cause and location for that day.

You can also visit Heal the Bay or California Coastal Commission.

Here's a chance to make a difference and help defeat Plastic Bag Monster and his minions.

Be heroic and fight Plastic Bag Monster and his minions everyday, not just once a year, and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2012

Mama gnome waits with bated breath to see what will happen to Assembly Bill 1998 this Friday the 13th, August 13.

Friday the 13th could either be a lucky or unlucky day for the environment.

AB 1998, written by Julia Brownley, Democrat-Santa Monica, would make California the first state to ban single use plastic bags for grocers starting in 2012.

And this Friday, the bill must be approved or it will die and Plastic Bag Monster triumphs.

If the bill is approved and is signed by the governor, supermarkets and other large retailers are prohibited from using single use plastic bags starting in 2012.

In 2013, that ban would extend to smaller grocers and convenience stores using plastic bag minions as well.

Plastic Bag Monster is the bane of Mama gnome's existence. She has battled against this monster time and time again.

Perhaps one of the most memorable was the battle of 2009 when Mama gnome succored by her gnome family battled against the Plastic Bag Monster on a sandy beach.

The gnome family was overwhelmed by cigarette butt monster and other plastic bag minions including styrofoam cups and little pieces of unrecognizable plastic scrap minions.

Just how big is the Plastic Bag Monster?

A million bags?

No.

A hundred million bags?

No.

Okay, I'll try one billion.

Nope again.

Try NINETEEN BILLION.

Californians use 19 Billion plastic bags A YEAR!

And if we were thinking they were getting recycled, Plastic Bag Monster has pulled the plastic over our eyes, because only a small fraction of that 19 billion gets recycled.

Only 5 percent of those bags get recycled.

So 95 percent of 19 billion bags end up where?

In our waterways, in landfills, in our deserts, our rivers, our forests, inside marine animals, in our oceans, disintegrating...NOT BIODEGRADING. They've taken up to creating their own evil lairs. One of the more notorious one is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Plastic bag monster and his minions become tiny plastic pieces mistaken for food by birds and marine animals.

And guess who eats the marine animals? Humans.

Mama gnome's blog has a running counter of how many plastic bags are used every second in the world.

It's a scary counter. Think of how much plastic the fish eat. Think of how much plastic we eat.

Here's a video of a Plastic Bag Monster trying to weasel his way out of the ban.


video from: danegolden

2012 is Plastic Bag Monster's Reckoning.

But don't wait two more years for it. Start today and Go Greeen!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Earth Warming Machine 2010

Earth Warming Machine 2009 is so...last year.

Thanks to continuing CO2 emissions, coal and power plants, unmitigated use of oil, continued slashing and burning of forests because of human demands and consumerism,

Earth Warming Machine 2010 is even more powerful.

Earth Warming Machine 2010 created these mind boggling climate change products:

"2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record" "the past four months, including June, have each individually been the hottest on record as well."

Trees dropping leaves and the leaves baking to terrible brown color

And now for the latest climate change product created by the Earth Warming Machine 2010...this:


photo by: Andreas Muenchow
http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2011/aug/greenland080610.html

According to this post from treehugger.com:

"Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland has lost an iceberg of 87 square kilometers in size. For scale, the ice sheet is said to be 4 times the size of Manhattan.
A University of Delaware researcher has been tracking the Petermann Glacier, and in a news release he says that the ice chunk is the largest since 1962."

Mama gnome did not list all climate change products currently wreaking havoc, killing humans, animals, destroying homes and habitat.

Mama gnome doesn't have enough room to list all in this post.

What is fueling Earth Warming Machine to become stronger and bigger every year?

Humans of course.

We are at the cross roads of cross roads.

Mama gnome cannot believe humans continue to fail to come together.

Humans continue to disagree about the Earth Warming Machine.

What further proof do humans need?

Earth Warming Machine 2011?

Mama gnome is afraid. Aren't you?

Please be strong, be brave, help fight against the evil Earth Warming Machine and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Thursday, August 5, 2010

It's So Hot You Can Cook a Tree on the Sidewalk

Mama gnome shakes her head every time she reads about climate change deniers.

These people live in their own sad encapsulated-refuse-to-accept-reality-world.

Well, how about these realities?

It's so hot out there "2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record"

It's so hot out there the last decade ending on 2009 was the hottest decade on record.

It's so hot out there "the past four months, including June, have each individually been the hottest on record as well."

It's so hot out there you can cook a tree on the sidewalk.

Trees are dropping leaves and the leaves are baking to terrible brown color.

Please do your part. Help stop earth warming and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

It's All Cigarette Smoke and Mirrors

Mama gnome's face contorted to a painful misshapen look of disbelief when she read this post about recycling cigarettes as a possible "green way."

Cigarettes are not biodegradable. The cigarette butt may disintegrate over time and look smaller and smaller, but the plastic remains and becomes part of the water ways, the oceans, the soil, leaking toxic chemicals into the environment or tragically they are mistaken for food and consumed by birds or marine animals killing them in a slow painful way.

Just like it kills humans in slow or fast painful way.

Mama gnome has written about the evils cast by Cigarette Monster here.

And if you think cigarettes are biodegradable it's like saying uranium is biodegradable.

Sure it gets smaller and hey look, now you're now glowing green and growing two heads!

It's not acceptable.

Mama gnome has taken on the Plastic Bag Monster a few times.

One was during Coastal Cleanup Day. In one and a half hours, Mama and daddy gnome collected almost one hundred and thirty cigarette butts on a small patch of sandy beach.

And this beach wasn't a main beach visited by throngs of humans.

So it's mind boggling how many cigarette butts are left out there by smokers.

But is recycling cigarette butts the solution to getting rid of this environmental monster?

How about we recycle nuclear waste and we can make them to tiny little nuclear arms.

How's that?

Mama gnome is fuming. And it's cigarette smoke being puffed into everyone's eyes.

It's smoke and mirrors dear humans.

Mama gnome is reposting this from a previous blog entry, an article that lists all the terrible after affects of people lighting up a cigarette.
They report:
"According to the American Burn Association, about 900 people in the United States die each year in fires started by cigarettes, and about 2,500 are injured. About 100 of the fire deaths each year are children and nonsmokers. Nationally, annual human and property costs of fires caused by careless smoking total about $6 billion. In 1997, there were more than 130,000 cigarette related fires."


This video is short and sweet


video from: Ambassador321




Open your eyes, stop smoking and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Contained?

Mama gnome's pointy hat is all rumpled and wrinkled from the nervous wringing it has gone through because Mama gnome has been anxiously waiting for this moment.

But can this really be true?

Has the Gulf Coast Oil Monster been conquered or "contained"?

The answer is a qualified yes...for now.

According to this post on Huffington Post:
"The stoppage came 85 days, 16 hours and 25 minutes after the first report April 20 of an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers and triggered the spill."

Between 93.5 million and 184.3 million have already spilled into the Gulf, according to federal estimates."


Here is a picture of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster taken by NASA on Wednesday,July 14,2010.


photo by NASA

The containment cap (Top Hat Number 10), currently keeping the Gulf Coast Monster from spewing oil, was placed on July 10, 2010 and the flow of oil was finally "stopped" on Thursday, July 15,2010.

Could NASA's picture be the picture of the last day of the Monster's unabated power?

The answer sadly is no.

Since April 20, 2010, the Gulf Coast Oil Monster has spewed out a volume of 100,000 barrels or 4,200,000 gallons of oil per day. And oil has spread over 2,500 to 9,100 square miles or 6,500 to 24,000 km. And it has done this for over 85 days.

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster will be around for a while.

Mama gnome urges you to help fight Oil Monsters and Go Green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's Blog

Friday, July 9, 2010

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Catastrophe Continues

No, Mama gnome didn't really want to even think about the Gulf Coast Oil Monster...

But it's like trying to ignore a monster chomping down on your neck. It's not possible.



Here is a horrific photo of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster by NASA on July 4, 2010.

According to this: The Gulf Coast Oil Monster spews out 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

"For comparison, this is an amount equal to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill every one to two weeks."

Mama gnome asks, "Pardon me. Did you just say an Exxon Valdez oil spill every ONE to two weeks?"

Mama gnome cannot even wrap her brain around that information.

That much oil is spewing out of that monster every week?

Is there any hope of stopping the Gulf Coast Oil Monster?

So far Mama gnome has written about this terrible tale:

on May 2, "Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster"

on May 10, "Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Mayhem"

on May 19, " Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Mayhem Continues"

on May 24, "Mystery Animal of the Day" is an animal tragically affected by the Monster

on May 29, "Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Catastrophe"

and now today Mama gnome reports about the ongoing horrific tale of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster.

So far all attempts to fight the Oil Monster were... Mama gnome will just come out and say it...puny attempts and clearly the Oil Monster lives.

When can Mama gnome write a happy ending about this story?

She is dismayed to tell you she doesn't know.

Today, Mama gnome read this report and it states almost unbelievably and Mama gnome says, "I'll believe it when I see it," forecast: that it's possible by Monday July 12, 2010, "a new containment cap and an additional ship collecting oil could effectively contain the spill..."

National Incident Commander Thad Allen wanted to point out he used the word "contained" and not stop because, "'Stop' is when we put the plug in down below."

Contain or Stop...Mama gnome hopes something works...and the Oil Monster will be vanquished.

How about vanquishing environmental monsters everyday? Be an ecowarrior and Go Green!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Thursday, July 8, 2010

California Chickens Get a Break and Mama gnome Flies the Coop!

Mama gnome jumped up and down and practically flew inside her kitchen when she read this post by Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, on Huffington Post.

He reports:
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed A.B. 1437, a bill backed by The Humane Society of the United States that requires that starting in 2015 all shell (whole) eggs sold in California must come from hens who were able to stand up, lie down, turn around, and fully extend their limbs without touching one another or the sides of an enclosure. In other words: California will become a cage-free state."

photo by: Andrei Niemimäki

Mama gnome gives credit where credit is due and thanks to all the humans who've voted and worked on getting this through.

Now how about a cage free life and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's Blog

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Gnome Club's Mighty Wind Power

Mama gnome continues to fret and gnash her teeth thinking about the Gulf Coast Oil Monster as it spews oil and wrecks havoc on the lives of humans, animals and habitats.

Instead of oil plumes and oil slicks along the Gulf Coast's wetlands and beaches, consider this alternative green power....

No oil slicks, no oil plumes, no oil covered sea turtles, pelicans and other marine animals.

The Gnome Club's Mighty Wind Turbines:


video from:SamsClubVideos

Mama gnome gives credit where credit is due and she gives Sam's Club lots of credit for being "the first retailer in the United States to have a significant number of wind turbines mounted on its parking lot lights."

The seventeen wind turbines... "are estimated to provide 76,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually – enough to power more than six average American homes for a year. The completion of this project adds to the company’s other renewable energy projects in the state, including solar installations at 28 Walmart and Sam’s Club sites and fuel cell installations at two Walmart stores in the state."


Did you feel the mighty wind blowing in the desert?

The mighty power of Green...Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Gnome Garden

A dark cloud hangs over Mama gnome's pointy hat because of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster.

Every day she frets and worries about the humans, animals and fragile habitats affected by this terrible Oil Monster.

So to help smooth out the hundred wrinkles and frown lines, Mama gnome gazes out of her kitchen window and into the garden.

Trees and plants help soothe the old gnome's soul.

Mama gnome is also very lucky to have Daddy gnome.

Not only is Daddy gnome, Mama gnome's secret weapon against Computer who plays mind games on Mama gnome. Constantly.

Daddy gnome is also Mama gnome's secret weapon against gardening handicap.

You see, Mama gnome confesses she doesn't have green thumbs.

Actually she has ummm...brown thumbs, very good for composting and ensuring the decay of plant life.

But she's very lucky to have Daddy gnome and young gnomelets who inherited Daddy gnome's green thumb genes.

And so the gnome family have started a humble vegetable garden.



Lovely Cauliflower
(c) photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog



Enchanting eggplant
(c)photo by Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog




Sweet...sweet corn
(c)photo by Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog




Adorable cherry tomatoes
(c) photo by Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog





Daddy gnome's built from scratch above ground vegetable box with drip system in place and vegetables planted in rows
(c) photo by Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog


Mama gnome will keep you posted on how the veggies are doing.

Meanwhile, green thumb or not, start your own garden for the soul and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Catastrophe

The horrific Gulf Coast Oil Monster lives.

It's been over a month since this Oil Monster came to life on April 20, 2010 by way of the Frankenstein company, oil company BP plc.

Just like in the novel and films, BP plc tries to hide and cover its monster, Gulf Coast Oil Monster either by lying, hiding, or worse...incompetently calculating the volume of oil spewing out of this Monster. I think young gnomelet could've done better math than that...

Way beyond what BP estimates at 5,000 barrels of crude oil spewing out..."scientists studying video of the gushing oil well have tentatively calculated that it could be flowing at a rate of 25,000 to 80,000 barrels of oil a day."

Here is NASA's photo of the ugly Gulf Coast Oil Monster taken May 24, 2010


photo by NASA


So far, attempts to stop the Gulf Coast Oil Monster have failed.

Operation 125-tonne (280,000 lb) container dome
result: Fail

Operation: ROV's, BP sent out six remotely operated vehicles to activate the blowout preventer valves
results: Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail

Operation: "Top Hat" which is a smaller cointainment dome
result: lowered into water but postponed because of the failure of the larger containment dome

Operation riser insertion tube
result: collected some oil, but ultimately not enough. It was removed for operation Top Kill

Operation Top Kill
result: Fail

What's Next?
Operation LMRP or the lower-marine-riser-package (LMRP) cap containment system. "It involves an underwater robot using a saw to hack off the leaking pipe and place a cap over it."

They expect this operation will "last four days," and it'll be the first attempt at 5,000 feet.

Now Mama gnome would like to point out the key words in the quote above, "hack off the leaking pipe."

Um, if someone is bleeding, do you hack off the arm so you can cover it up?

Mama gnome is not an engineer but this operation doesn't sound good to this old gnome. Does it to you?

In addition to what Mama gnome listed, they're also using up til now:
Operation controlled burns and Operation chemical dispersants.

Mama gnome is a strict environmentalist and she would like to give all these a big F for "For crying out loud, fire and more toxic chemicals into the ocean? Give me a break."

And the booms...uh, did anyone notice the massive oil plumes under the surface.

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster is spewing oil underwater.

What in the world are we going to do?

Uh...how about an oil rig in the Arctic Ocean...

Can you just see it? The black and white panoramic view of massive oil spill off Alaska's coast? Unbelievable...
"Shell Oil was poised to begin exploratory drilling this summer on Arctic leases as far as 140 miles offshore."

It makes Mama gnome's blood boil.

Please see this post by the NY Times. Mama gnome's blood pressure shot up some more.

"The federal Minerals Management Service gave permission to BP and dozens of other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without first getting required permits from another agency that assesses threats to endangered species — and despite strong warnings from that agency about the impact the drilling was likely to have on the gulf."

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is partly responsible for protecting endangered species and marine mammals. It has said on repeated occasions that drilling in the gulf affects these animals, but the minerals agency since January 2009 has approved at least three huge lease sales, 103 seismic blasting projects and 346 drilling plans. Agency records also show that permission for those projects and plans was granted without getting the permits required under federal law."

The Minerals Management Service Director Elizabeth Birnbaum stepped down because of pressure. No kidding.

Mama gnome is anxiously waiting for the announcement of a moratorium on offshore drilling.

And Mama gnome paces in front of the aga stove, cookies burning, waiting for the Gulf Coast Oil Monster to be defeated somehow...

Please help fight Oil Monsters and Go Green..

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Monday, May 24, 2010

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

The Mystery Animal is threatened by the Gulf Coast Oil Monster

This animal is "especially vulnerable to oil. Not only could they eat tainted fish and feed it to their young, but they could die of hypothermia or drowning if they're soaked in oil."


If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Brown Pelican, Mama gnome hopes if you go fishing, please be responsible for your fishing lines. Birds become entangled, maimed and killed because of fishing lines.


photo from: Ianare Sevi


The Brown Pelican "is the only dark pelican, and also the only one that plunges from the air into the water to catch its food."

They can dive from as high as 60 feet.

Pelicans have a pouch on their throat. It's the gular pouch which can hold three gallons of water and fish.


It's a myth that the Brown Pelican can go blind from diving for food.

What is true?

This animal can go blind from avian botulism
"Avian botulism, caused by eating diseased fish found in "dead" water (overly warm water devoid of oxygen), wrecks havoc on water bird populations, killing up to 50,000 per year. Not only does the botulism cause blindness, it can also bring about paralysis so severe that the pelicans cannot hold their heads up and thus drown."

Pelicans can also go blind from chemical spills which can burn their eyes and sewage which can cause infection.

Mama gnome was also upset to read this:

"Pelican rehabilitation facility statistics in Florida show that 90% of pelicans under care suffer from injuries sustained by entanglement in fishing lines, nets, and hooks. Experts believe that at some point in a pelican's life, 80% will become entangled either in an active line or in discarded line thrown thoughtlessly into the sea."

The Beatles have this beautiful song "Free as a Bird" and Mama gnome is quite sad to realize that birds are not free, they do not have a free life thanks to humans and their pollution, oil and fishing lines.

Here is a video of a Brown Pelican being washed and cleaned to get oil and pollutants off its feathers.


video from: SavingSeabirds

Please see and hear the beautiful birds of the Gulf Coast in peril because of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster


video from LabofOrnithology


Mama gnome hopes you can do one or more things from this list to help the Brown Pelican and other birds

  • Please bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Avoid plastic bags or paper bags like the plague. Tons of plastic bags end up in our waterways into the oceans and become part of Plastic Bag Monster minions entangling, killing millions of marine birds every year.
  • Please use your own reusable stainless water bottle. Avoid plastic bottles for they are also Plastic Bag Monster's favorite minions which kill marine animals and birds.
  • Please do not discard used oil down the driveway. It ends up in the storm drains and all drains lead to....yup, the ocean. Presto, they create their own Oil Monsters in our oceans. So please discard oil responsibly.
  • Please visit the site American Bird Conservancy and allaboutbirds.org
  • Please participate in the Annual Coastal Cleanup Day as Mama gnome and young gnomelets do. It's an international event and it's on the third Saturday of September every year. You will help save countless marine animals and birds from plastic and trash.

Mama gnome would like to preen and clean her feathers, then she will soar into the sky and dive bomb to snap up Oily Petroleum humans who create Oil Monsters.

Please join Mama gnome and help protect our birds...and go Green!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Mama gnome's Reached Her Limit and so has Earth

Mama gnome's just about reached her limit..And so has Earth...

Here's a scary scenario.

Doomsday.

Mama gnome tries to stay positive. Think positive and it'll work out.

But according to this UN Report...all these positive brain waves aren't going to cut it anymore.

Planet Earth has just about reached her limit.

We are at the precipice about to tip over.

But please don't take my word for it.

Here is what Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity said:
"This report is saying that we are reaching the tipping point where the irreversible damage to the planet is going to be done unless we act urgently."

He "argued that extinction rates for some animal or plant species were at a historic high, up to 1,000 times those seen before, even affecting crops and livestock."

The UN Report identified 3 major tipping points:


Please watch the official video of Global Biodiversity Outlook 3


video by: chmcbd

Mama gnome restates these 3 Earth tipping points:

  1. deforestation of the Amazon rainforest
  2. dying out of freshwater lakes and other inland water bodies because of pollution
  3. collapse of coral reef ecosystems because of overfishing, ocean pollution and acidification

Mama gnome likes to think positive.

Nice thoughts are good for birthdays but it won't stop ocean acidification, slashing and burning of rainforests, overfishing and humans' obsessive consumerism to the point of just blatant disregard for everything else.

Mama gnome just wants to say stop. Please stop. Before it's too late.

What can humans do to pull us back from the edge of the cliff?

1. Reduce consumption of meat. Billions of people eating meat is the main cause of the Amazon's destruction. They burn the forests to clear it to raise cattle, to plant soy and grain to feed the cattle. Stop this vicious cycle.

2. Watch your money. Save. What a deal right? How? Stop driving so much, stop using so much electricity, stop using so much gas, stop buying so much take out food and disposable plates, styrofoam, paper. By being frugal and saving money, you're helping save the planet.

3. Reduce consumption of fish. Man. Better yet, stop eating sushi. Fish gets no break. They're not even counted as animals I don't think. Have we forgotten where life comes from? From water. If we kill all the fish and our oceans die out, it's bye-bye land animals as well. Please help stop the vicious overfishing of our oceans.

4. Start a vegetable/fruit garden. This is a win-win situation. If you have limited space, use pots/containers. For families with children, it's great incentive to get the kids involved in the process from the beginning, they can see the "fruits" of their labor and might even eat their fruits and veggies.

Mama gnome urges You...yes you sitting there, reading this... to do something.

Even just one thing, one little thing I mentioned in the list to save the planet.

Can you imagine the power of that times 6 billion plus humans?

Please go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog