via TreeHugger on Jul 31, 2007

swaptree%20how%20it%20works.jpg We have a lot of books, and getting rid of them is tough. We have tried eBay, garage sales and Freecycle, but books are different, They are the ultimate “long tail” product; somebody is interested in it but how do you find them? Jeff Bezos knew this. There are more books than any store could stock, or that one neighbourhood could aborb. Books are small and dense, catalogued by a universal numbering system and relatively easy to ship; he built Amazon around them and the rest is history. That is what is so interesting about Swaptree, a new trading system for books, CD’s and DVD…
http://www.swaptree.com/

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Fairfax County, located in Northern Virginia outside of Washington, DC, has signed the “Cool Counties” declaration:

Fairfax County is helping to lead a national effort for counties to reduce global warming emissions 80 percent by 2050, an achievable average annual reduction of 2 percent. The Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration also urges the federal government to adopt legislation requiring an 80 percent emissions reduction by 2050 and calls for fuel economy standards to be raised to 35 miles per gallon within a decade.

More here

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Link to NYTimes article

“Just in the last few months, new studies have shown that the north polar ice cap — which helps the planet cool itself — is melting nearly three times faster than the most pessimistic computer models predicted. Unless we take action, summer ice could be completely gone in as little as 35 years. Similarly, at the other end of the planet, near the South Pole, scientists have found new evidence of snow melting in West Antarctica across an area as large as California….But there’s something even more precious to be gained if we do the right thing. The climate crisis offers us the chance to experience what few generations in history have had the privilege of experiencing: a generational mission; a compelling moral purpose; a shared cause; and the thrill of being forced by circumstances to put aside the pettiness and conflict of politics and to embrace a genuine moral and spiritual challenge.”

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Yahoo News Article

The Interior Department will announce on Thursday it is removing the majestic bird from the protection of the Endangered Species Act, capping a four-decade struggle for recovery.

Government biologists have counted nearly 10,000 mating pairs of bald eagles, including at least one pair in each of 48 contiguous states, giving assurance that the bird’s survival is no longer in jeopardy.

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Al Gore is appearing on a few shows this week, notably Larry King Live and David Letterman. Here’s a nostalgic tv screen capture that I snapped in 1993 when Vice President Gore appeared on David Letterman and discussed the need for federal acquisition reform.

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From AlGore.com, a request for signatures as Big Al goes to Washington.

Help me send a message to Congress:
Now is the time to act on global warming.

I know from personal experience that the only thing that will make Washington really take notice and do something to solve the climate crisis is the prospect of millions of committed citizens taking action. It’s time to join together and make that happen.
Add Your Name

Sign the postcard to your representative demanding real action on global warming below and I’ll personally deliver it to Washington in March. I’ll keep you up to date on how things are going by email.
http://www.algore.com/cards.html?sc=M0001

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