The Candy Bombers

There are many ways to resolve conflict. Generally there are ways to reach a peaceful solution. The following is an interview with the author of "The Candy Bombers" which is a book about a situation in which conflict could have led to world war 3 so a few of the people involved were determined to find a peaceful solution. When people are determined to attain peace they come up with innovative and effective solutions. Notice how the focus of the problem solvers(in the following video) is on making friends through gifts (such as humanitarian aid) rather than subduing an opponent through threats.

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Jimmy Carter Interview Part 1 , Part 2

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The Heart Of Culture and Society – The Golden Rule

We tend to notice differences more than similarities when encountering other races or cultures. Yet we(the human race) have more in common than most people realize. A citizen of any country wants economic prosperity, peaceful conditions to live and raise a family, entertainment, freedom of choice and so on.

Governments come and go but the basic morality and compassion of the people remain the same through out the ages. Unless acted upon by an outside force. Be it invasion, famine, propaganda, despotism or revolution.

An ex-nun turned scholar by the name of Karen Armstrong is one of the individuals who has understood that compassion is the foundation upon which the whole planet can establish a lasting peace. Towards that end she has established the ‘Charter for Compassion’. As stated on the website:

The Charter does NOT assume:
-all religions are the same
-compassion is the only thing that matters in religion
-religious people have a monopoly on compassion

The Charter DOES affirm that:
-compassion is celebrated in all major religious, spiritual and ethical traditions
-the Golden Rule is our prime duty and cannot be limited to our own political, religious or ethnic group
-therefore, in our divided world, compassion can build common ground

The Charter for Compassion is a collaborative project that has stories from different parts of the world on it’s website and is currently in the process of completing a final document to describe the tenets of the charter.


LIVES OF COMPASSION.
The Charter for Compassion is the concrete document around which a grassroots movement will coalesce. Your personal stories are the life of this movement.


The following quotes have been taken from several cultures belief systems. They reflect the strong theme of compassion and non-judgment that runs through all the major world religions.

The golden rule, kindness, mercy, compassion:

Those who do not abandon mercy will not be abandoned by me.
Shinto. Oracle of the Kami of Itsukushima

Those who act kindly in this world will have kindness.
Islam. Qur'an 39.10

The man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others.
Confucianism. Analects 6.28.2

God enjoins justice, kindness, and charity to one's kindred, and forbids indecency, abomination, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.
Islam. Qur'an 16.90

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Leviticus 19.18

Do not judge thy comrade until thou hast stood in his place.
Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 2.5

If you efface and overlook and forgive, then lo! God is forgiving, merciful.
Islam. Qur'an 64.14

The superior man tends to forgive wrongs and deals leniently with crimes.
Confucianism. I Ching 40: Release

You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Judaism and Christianity. Leviticus 19.18

Better and more rewarding is God's reward to those who believe and put their trust in Him: who avoid gross sins and indecencies and, when angered, are willing to forgive... Let evil be rewarded by like evil, but he who forgives and seeks reconciliation shall be rewarded by God. He does not love the wrongdoers.... True constancy lies in forgiveness and patient forbearance.
Islam. Qur'an 42.36-43

Confucius said, "The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this."
Confucianism. Analects 12.16

He who treads the Path in earnest Sees not the mistakes of the world; If we find fault with others We ourselves are also in the wrong. When other people are in the wrong, we should ignore it, For it is wrong for us to find fault. By getting rid of this habit of fault-finding We cut off a source of defilement. When neither hatred nor love disturb our mind Serenely we sleep.
Buddhism. Sutra of Hui Neng 2

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment that you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Christianity. Matthew 7.1-5


Happy is the person who finds fault with himself instead of finding fault with others.
Islam. Hadith

Let there be no compulsion in religion
Islam Qur'an 2:256


Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
Christianity. Bible, Matthew 7.12

Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13

If you efface and overlook and forgive, then lo! God is forgiving, merciful.
Islam. Qur'an 64.14

What sort of religion can it be without compassion? You need to show compassion to all living beings. Compassion is the root of all religious faiths.
Hinduism. Basavanna, Vachana 247

Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."
"Therefore the kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
Christianity. Matthew 18.21-35


The vile are ever prone to detect the faults of others, though they be as small as mustard seeds, and persistently shut their eyes against their own, though they be as large as Vilva fruit.
Hinduism. Garuda Purana 112

A lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live."
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half-dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So like- wise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go, and do likewise."
Christianity. Luke 10.25-37: Parable of the Good Samaritan

Easily seen are others' faults, hard indeed to see are one's own. Like chaff one winnows others' faults, but one's own one hides, as a crafty fowler conceals himself by camouflage.
He who sees others' faults is ever irritable--his corruptions grow. He is far from the destruction of the corruptions.
Buddhism. Dhammapada 252-53

Better and more rewarding is God's reward to those who believe and put their trust in Him: who avoid gross sins and indecencies and, when angered, are willing to forgive... Let evil be rewarded by like evil, but he who forgives and seeks reconciliation shall be rewarded by God. He does not love the wrongdoers.... True constancy lies in forgiveness and patient forbearance.
Islam. Qur'an 42.36-43



Honesty:

The seal of God is truth.
Judaism. Talmud, Shabbat 55

Keep your conscience clear.
Christianity. 1 Peter 3.16

One should utter the truth.
Buddhism. Dhammapada 224


Let your conduct be marked by truthfulness in word, deed, and thought.
Hinduism. Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11.1

O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it concerns rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts of your hearts lest you swerve, and if you distort justice or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that you do.
Islam. Qur'an 4.135

Tzu-chang asked about getting on with people. The Master said, "Be loyal and true to your every word, serious and careful in all you do, and you will get on well enough even though you find yourself among barbarians. But if you are disloyal and untrustworthy in your speech, frivolous and careless in your acts, even though you are among your own neighbors, how can you hope to get on well?"
Confucianism. Analects 15.5

Heart of Culture and Society - Wisdom

Probably the most famous ‘wise man’ was an ancient Greek by the name of Socrates. His story goes something like this:

While Socrates was chillin in his home, minding his own business, he heard that the ‘Oracle at Delphi’ has declared that ‘there is no man wiser than he’.

The Oracle was a person who was something of a ‘Diviner’, where a person has the ability to read ‘signs’ presented by the world around them or through devices such as deep trance or something like the runes used by the ancient druids.

So when Socrates heard that he is the ‘wisest’ he had to pay attention. The first thing he did was get confused, “what is the interpretation of this riddle? for I know that I have no wisdom, small or great. What can he mean when he says that I am the wisest of men?”. So he decided to go and ask others around him who he had heard called wise before. Thus began his little quest.

He realized that if he found one man who knew the meaning of wisdom then he has found someone wiser than himself and would be proof that the Oracle is wrong. Upon cross examination he discovered that the rich and powerful men that he questioned, known for their wisdom, had no idea what wisdom was. When asked ‘what is wisdom’ they would define it in terms of something else like doing an activity or having an attribute like virtue which was also defined in terms of some activity.

In short, no one Socrates talked to could define wisdom specifically. They could only point to activities that they thought were wise or led to wisdom.

By this experimentation Socrates concluded that no body knew what wisdom was.

The only difference between himself and the ones that were thought to be wise was that he didn’t delude himself into thinking he knew what wisdom was.

He also pissed off a bunch of rich and powerful men for proving that they weren’t wise so they labeled him with charges of heresy and brought him to court.

So if Socrates was the wisest man and he didn’t know what wisdom is, is there any way for us to know what wisdom is? Or at least have an idea of where to look?

One way of looking as wisdom is illustrated by Platos Cave Allegory;

To understand this parable imagine a civilization that has spent it’s entire existence in a cave lit by a fire. This society believes that the shadows on the cave wall, that is cast by the fire, is actually themselves and their friends and family. They believe they are the shadows on the cave wall because they are chained to the ground and their face is locked in a position facing the wall.

Now imagine one person breaks his/her chains and steps out of the cave. This person sees color for the first time. Even sees his/her own hand for the first time as the chains are gone. Now this cave of shadows escapee has a serious problem…how do you explain to people who have never seen anything but shadows what color is? How can you explain a tree or even the blue dome of the sky? You can’t. They won’t even have words for the color blue or red since they live in the black, white and gray world of shadows.

Plato’s theoryis that like a cave dweller who has stepped into the sunlight, the wise man too has stepped out of society and culture. When he comes back to his people to explain what he has learned, he discovers that there are no words in the language to define what he knows. So he must talk in riddles and parables.

This same concept is expressed right at the beginning of the book of Proverbs (Old Testament)

“let the wise listen and add to their learning
and let the discerning get guidance
for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.”

The author is suggesting that the wise talk in parables and riddles. So, why can’t a wise person just say what wisdom is and tell us how to attain it as well?

The following quote puts in perspective the difficulty of explaining ‘knowing’:

The Fragrance of the Rose

The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao-tzu's dictum:
"Those who know, do not say;
Those who say, do not know."
When the master entered,
they asked him what the words meant.
Said the master, "Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?"
All of them indicated that they knew.
Then he said, "Put it into words."
All of them were silent.

from One Minute Wisdom by Anthony DeMello

This illustrates how difficult it can be to express knowledge from one sense (sense of smell) into words.

If it is difficult to explain basic experiences into words then wisdom (which is supposed to encompass an understanding of life and our place in it) could be just as difficult to express.

The idea of parables as a teaching tool is expressed in every major belief system. Here is a small sample:

We have put forth for men in this Qur'an every kind of parable, in order that they may receive admonition.
Islam. Qur'an 39.27

And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve [disciples] asked [Jesus] concerning the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; so they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven."
Christianity. Mark 4.10-12

The biblical tales are only the Torah's outer garments, and woe to him who regards these as being the Torah itself!
Judaism. Zohar, Numbers 152a

First take up the words, Ponder their meaning, Then the fixed rules reveal themselves. But if you are not the right man, The meaning will not manifest itself to you.
Confucianism. I Ching, Great Commentary 2.8.4

When the man of highest capacities hears the Tao He does his best to put it into practice. When the man of middling capacity hears the Tao He is in two minds about it. When the man of low capacity hears Tao He laughs loudly at it. If he did not laugh, it would not be worth the name of Tao.
Taoism. Tao Te Ching 41


CONCLUSION: Since all the above traditions indicate a similar idea of wisdom it is reasonable to say that wisdom is something that all cultures AND religions have in common. So a wise person in one society, if he is truly wise, may also be a wise person in another society.

What else do our world cultures and religions have in common? That is what this series of posts will look at…from time to time.

Entertainment:

Click here to check out a little test that claims to estimate your level of wisdom

Learning and Education With The 'Socratic Method'

In the dialogue ‘Meno’ Socrates shows that even an uneducated peasant can understand advanced geometry(extract below). Simply by asking questions that allowed the person to deduce what the answers were from their own understanding and experience. This method has become known as the ‘Socratic Method’ and I think Plato's dialogue 'Meno' is our first written demonstration of this method.

Contrasting this method to the one used in modern schools you might notice that a student is told what is right and what isn’t. He/she is taught a formula and then told to solve equation. This approach assumes that the student doesn’t know, cannot infer and must be stuffed with knowledge/information.

This process of ‘stuffing’ a student makes a student believe that they have learn’t something(random facts) and creates an illusion that they know.

Education comes from the word educare which means to “draw forth”

'Education' is known to have several root words. It is popularly known to be derived from the Latin root 'educo' meaning to 'educe'- to draw out. It also has root words, 'educare' and 'educere'. "educare' means to 'rear or to bring up' and it refers to child rearing, whereas, 'educere' which is derived from two roots 'e' and 'ducere' means to 'draw out from within' or to 'lead forth'.

Abraham Lincoln, Galileo, Leanardo da Vinci were all self taught and became some of the greatest men of our history. There are only two possibilities for this. Either genius cannot be encouraged in the masses of kids but just pops up out of the blue in a few rare individuals OR the school system doesn’t work as an ‘educational’ medium.

The most effective model of learning we know of comes from the word –educare – or education which is applied and developed through the Socratic Method used by the ancient Greeks. This method was used in the streets of ancient Greece and produced some of the biggest innovations known to man. They transformed our perception of the world around us with breakthroughs of knowledge in philosophy, math, science and politics.

The renaissance of Europe also had individuals who applied the Socratic method to their studies(through curiosity) and once more our knowledge was transformed with breakthroughs in logic, astronomy and technology, which led to the Industrial Revolution changing the world forever.

Why do we have so few 'geniuses'? The answer to this conundrum is simple. Schools have a system of teaching that assumes that a child is like an empty vase that has to filled. This is the opposite of the Socratic method of teaching. This argument is not a new on.

You have already seen how history is reduced to facts to memorize. This format is exactly of the attitude that the students lacks information and must be filled (kind robotic don’t you think?). If you take this method of filling students and apply it to a large scale population, we are teaching whole generations of students not to rely on themselves but on what they are told because their only experience of learning is through prescribed textbooks.

The following is a picture I took of a table that compares the Socratic Method with the Scientific Method from here.



Notice how similar they are. We have major breakthroughs with the scientific method and have technology that we couldn't even have dreamed of 400 years ago. In the same way that the scientific method helps with discovery, the socratic method helps with learning.


The following is a transcript of a teaching experiment, using the Socratic method, with a regular third grade class in a suburban elementary school. I present my perspective and views on the session, and on the Socratic method as a teaching tool, following the transcript. The class was conducted on a Friday afternoon beginning at 1:30, late in May, with about two weeks left in the school year. This time was purposely chosen as one of the most difficult times to entice and hold these children's concentration about a somewhat complex intellectual matter. The point was to demonstrate the power of the Socratic method for both teaching and also for getting students involved and excited about the material being taught. There were 22 students in the class. I was told ahead of time by two different teachers (not the classroom teacher) that only a couple of students would be able to understand and follow what I would be presenting. When the class period ended, I and the classroom teacher believed that at least 19 of the 22 students had fully and excitedly participated and absorbed the entire material. (read more)



Extract from 'Meno' by Plato:

Soc. Attend now to the questions which I ask him, and observe whether he learns of me or only remembers.

Men. I will.

Soc. Tell me, boy, do you know that a figure like this is a square?

Boy. I do.

Soc. And you know that a square figure has these four lines equal?

Boy. Certainly.

Soc. And these lines which I have drawn through the middle of the square are also equal?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. A square may be of any size?

Boy. Certainly.

Soc. And if one side of the figure be of two feet, and the other side be of two feet, how much will the whole be? Let me explain: if in one direction the space was of two feet, and in other direction of one foot, the whole would be of two feet taken once?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. But since this side is also of two feet, there are twice two feet?

Boy. There are.

Soc. Then the square is of twice two feet?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And how many are twice two feet? count and tell me.

Boy. Four, Socrates.

Soc. And might there not be another square twice as large as this, and having like this the lines equal?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And of how many feet will that be?

Boy. Of eight feet.

Soc. And now try and tell me the length of the line which forms the side of that double square: this is two feet-what will that be?

Boy. Clearly, Socrates, it will be double.

Soc. Do you observe, Meno, that I am not teaching the boy anything, but only asking him questions; and now he fancies that he knows how long a line is necessary in order to produce a figure of eight square feet; does he not?

Men. Yes.

Soc. And does he really know?

Men. Certainly not.

Soc. He only guesses that because the square is double, the line is double.

Men. True.

Soc. Observe him while he recalls the steps in regular order. (To the Boy.) Tell me, boy, do you assert that a double space comes from a double line? Remember that I am not speaking of an oblong, but of a figure equal every way, and twice the size of this-that is to say of eight feet; and I want to know whether you still say that a double square comes from double line?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. But does not this line become doubled if we add another such line here?

Boy. Certainly.

Soc. And four such lines will make a space containing eight feet?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. Let us describe such a figure: Would you not say that this is the figure of eight feet?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And are there not these four divisions in the figure, each of which is equal to the figure of four feet?

Boy. True.

Soc. And is not that four times four?

Boy. Certainly.

Soc. And four times is not double?

Boy. No, indeed.

Soc. But how much?

Boy. Four times as much.

Soc. Therefore the double line, boy, has given a space, not twice, but four times as much.

Boy. True.

Soc. Four times four are sixteen-are they not?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. What line would give you a space of right feet, as this gives one of sixteen feet;-do you see?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And the space of four feet is made from this half line?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. Good; and is not a space of eight feet twice the size of this, and half the size of the other?

Boy. Certainly.

Soc. Such a space, then, will be made out of a line greater than this one, and less than that one?

Boy. Yes; I think so.

Soc. Very good; I like to hear you say what you think. And now tell me, is not this a line of two feet and that of four?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. Then the line which forms the side of eight feet ought to be more than this line of two feet, and less than the other of four feet?

Boy. It ought.

Soc. Try and see if you can tell me how much it will be.

Boy. Three feet.

Soc. Then if we add a half to this line of two, that will be the line of three. Here are two and there is one; and on the other side, here are two also and there is one: and that makes the figure of which you speak?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. But if there are three feet this way and three feet that way, the whole space will be three times three feet?

Boy. That is evident.

Soc. And how much are three times three feet?

Boy. Nine.

Soc. And how much is the double of four?

Boy. Eight.

Soc. Then the figure of eight is not made out of a of three?

Boy. No.

Soc. But from what line?-tell me exactly; and if you would rather not reckon, try and show me the line.

Boy. Indeed, Socrates, I do not know.

Soc. Do you see, Meno, what advances he has made in his power of recollection? He did not know at first, and he does not know now, what is the side of a figure of eight feet: but then he thought that he knew, and answered confidently as if he knew, and had no difficulty; now he has a difficulty, and neither knows nor fancies that he knows.

Men. True.

Soc. Is he not better off in knowing his ignorance?

Men. I think that he is.

Soc. If we have made him doubt, and given him the "torpedo's shock," have we done him any harm?

Men. I think not.

Soc. We have certainly, as would seem, assisted him in some degree to the discovery of the truth; and now he will wish to remedy his ignorance, but then he would have been ready to tell all the world again and again that the double space should have a double side.

Men. True.

Soc. But do you suppose that he would ever have enquired into or learned what he fancied that he knew, though he was really ignorant of it, until he had fallen into perplexity under the idea that he did not know, and had desired to know?

Men. I think not, Socrates.

Soc. Then he was the better for the torpedo's touch?

Men. I think so.

Soc. Mark now the farther development. I shall only ask him, and not teach him, and he shall share the enquiry with me: and do you watch and see if you find me telling or explaining anything to him, instead of eliciting his opinion. Tell me, boy, is not this a square of four feet which I have drawn?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And now I add another square equal to the former one?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And a third, which is equal to either of them?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. Suppose that we fill up the vacant corner?

Boy. Very good.

Soc. Here, then, there are four equal spaces?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And how many times larger is this space than this other?

Boy. Four times.

Soc. But it ought to have been twice only, as you will remember.

Boy. True.

Soc. And does not this line, reaching from corner to corner, bisect each of these spaces?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And are there not here four equal lines which contain this space?

Boy. There are.

Soc. Look and see how much this space is.

Boy. I do not understand.

Soc. Has not each interior line cut off half of the four spaces?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And how many spaces are there in this section?

Boy. Four.

Soc. And how many in this?

Boy. Two.

Soc. And four is how many times two?

Boy. Twice.

Soc. And this space is of how many feet?

Boy. Of eight feet.

Soc. And from what line do you get this figure?

Boy. From this.

Soc. That is, from the line which extends from corner to corner of the figure of four feet?

Boy. Yes.

Soc. And that is the line which the learned call the diagonal. And if this is the proper name, then you, Meno's slave, are prepared to affirm that the double space is the square of the diagonal?

Boy. Certainly, Socrates.

Soc. What do you say of him, Meno? Were not all these answers given out of his own head?

Men. Yes, they were all his own.

Soc. And yet, as we were just now saying, he did not know?

Men. True.

Soc. But still he had in him those notions of his-had he not?

Men. Yes.

Soc. Then he who does not know may still have true notions of that which he does not know?

Men. He has.

Soc. And at present these notions have just been stirred up in him, as in a dream; but if he were frequently asked the same questions, in different forms, he would know as well as any one at last?

Men. I dare say.

Soc. Without any one teaching him he will recover his knowledge for himself, if he is only asked questions?

Men. Yes.

Soc. And this spontaneous recovery of knowledge in him is recollection?

Men. True.

Soc. And this knowledge which he now has must he not either have acquired or always possessed?

Men. Yes.

Soc. But if he always possessed this knowledge he would always have known; or if he has acquired the knowledge he could not have acquired it in this life, unless he has been taught geometry; for he may be made to do the same with all geometry and every other branch of knowledge. Now, has any one ever taught him all this? You must know about him, if, as you say, he was born and bred in your house.

Men. And I am certain that no one ever did teach him.

Soc. And yet he has the knowledge?

Men. The fact, Socrates, is undeniable.

A Few Informational Links On Clean Energy

General Links:

CARSON CITY, Nev.—As lawmakers rush through the final weeks of their 2009 session, they're working out details on several bills to help Nevada overcome obstacles to realizing its full potential as a renewable energy leader.
Nevada's ample wind, sun and hot springs have put the state in a favorable position to develop renewable energy resources, earning it the nickname the "Saudi Arabia of alternative energy."

While Congress continues to debate renewable energy portfolios and infrastructure development, individual states and companies continue to move forward.

On Wednesday, Pacific Gas and Electric announced a deal with solar company, BrightSource Energy for the production of 1,310 megawatts of solar thermal power. There are seven projects in the deal, with the first expected to begin operations in 2012, and all being operational by 2017.


With politicians pushing adoption of renewable energy in the United States and Europe, the last few years have seen a surge in plans for wind farms--both on land and sea. But wind power isn't viable everywhere--and prime coastal spots are often already developed.
So some wind-turbine makers are shifting their focus toward building bigger wind turbines that can harvest the lower-speed winds that are more readily available. This next generation of wind turbines is no small matter: their rotors have a diameter the size of a football field.


Australia to build largest solar energy plant
Published: Sunday 17 May 2009 16:02 UTC
Last updated: Sunday 17 May 2009 16:02 UTC
The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced plans to build the world's largest solar energy plant. The plant will generate three times as much energy as the current largest solar plant in California in the United States. The prime minister called sunshine "Australia's biggest natural resource".



Introduction to Geothermal Power

Heat from the earth can be used as an energy source in many ways, from large and complex power stations to small and relatively simple pumping systems. This heat energy, known as geothermal energy, can be found almost anywhere—as far away as remote deep wells in Indonesia and as close as the dirt in our backyards. Tapping geothermal energy is an affordable and sustainable solution to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and the global warming and public health risks that result from their use.

In the Western United States and in other places around the world, geothermal energy produces electricity in large power plants. Today, geothermal energy provides about five percent of California's electricity, and 25 percent of El Salvador's.[1] In Idaho and Iceland, geothermal heat is used to warm buildings and for other applications. In thousands of homes and buildings across the United States, geothermal heat pumps use the steady temperatures just underground to heat and cool buildings, cleanly and inexpensively.


Links From Bill Moyers

Here is a collection of links that stress how you can practically help to preserve our biodiversity.

Moyers of Energy and Environment

Links from PBS NOW


Can something as common as building materials represent an opportunity to create jobs, help the needy, and save the planet? This week, NOW looks at two "green" projects keeping furniture, paint, cabinets, and other building supplies out of landfills and getting them into the hands of those who need them most. Will they be devastated by the economic meltdown, or do they signal a possible way out?


A California Assemblywoman's personal environmental mission to reduce auto emissions inspired her colleagues to act and other states to follow suit. Supported by favorable federal court decisions, encouraged by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and armed with new laws, her state is now on the cutting edge of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of everything from American power plants to automobiles.


Will the green energy dream come to fruition? This week NOW explores obstacles to the promise of renewables—energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, and rain.

As America looks to dramatically increase its use of renewable energy, an inconvenient reality stands in the way: the need to upgrade the country's antiquated electricity grid. Part of that overhaul involves the construction of gigantic and expensive long-distance transmission lines to carry clean energy from remote sites to population centers.

NOW travels to California, which has the most ambitious clean energy plan in the nation. But the state's efforts face stiff opposition from property owners and conservationists who prefer renewable energy from "local sources," such as photovoltaic rooftop solar panels.

Complicating the matter are claims that the transmission lines are not actually carrying renewable energy at all, but represent a thinly-disguised strategy to stick to old energy practices.

The green energy dream: Why it may not happen.

Can Coal be Earth-Friendly?
Can America's cheapest and most plentiful energy resource be produced without burning the environment?

A rise in sea levels isn't the only impact global warming is having on the world's oceans. A growing body of evidence suggests that climate change is also affecting ocean currents and the chemistry of the seas, with potentially catastrophic results.