Smoke on the Horizon

I have looked out many windows. I have stood a top many mountains. I have heard the call of many birds. Today I looked out a window, and beheld something I will never forget.

In the land between two rivers in the dessert, a great oasis of life and fertility has existed since this land was young. These places have had many names, especially the city I am in today. ‘Baghdad’ is a Persian word. My friend tells me it means either the jungle or the garden that ‘is given’. If it is in fact "the garden that is given" (implicitly by God) you could make a reasonable argument that to a Persian, Baghdad means ‘Garden of Eden’.

It makes sense when you think about it. This whole area is the lush garden or jungle between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Such a large oasis in the relatively arid land of the Arabian peninsula would surely have been thought of as a gift from God.


I had this conversation with my friend atop a tower in Baghdad. My Iraqi friend was sad in his quiet accepted way. He told me of the ancient world, and the shame of war that has come to it. We talked about the state of this great planet, given by God unto man. God's creation, this beautiful and mystical land is God's greatest revelation to us. And so I come to my sorrow today.

I have looked out many windows. I have stood a top many mountains. Today I heard the distant call of a raven and when I looked out my window I saw smoke... smoke rising from the Trees of Eden.

Shine Forth the Light

Coal Companies Trying To Buy Money From Congress

I was watching PBS news this morning, not by choice but by the graces of the Armed Forces Network. I saw a report that was simply awe inspiring. Apparently the Coal industry, which while being a very popular source of energy, is loosing its footing in an environmentally conscious country. The United States is the world’s leading producer of coal and coal energy plants are responsible for approximately a third of carbon emissions in the country today.

This did not surprise me as I use to play SimCity and know that a coal power plant, while cheap will have your sims complaining about pollution before you see your first skyscraper. What surprised me was that coal industry spent 30 million dollars last year petitioning Congressmen for funding of research into clean coal technology.

I agree that clean coal technology would be fantastic, and fantastic for motivating coal mining investors. I don’t agree that spending millions to persuade the government to spend millions is efficient. If the Coal industry can afford to spend 30 million dollars bribing er… informing Congressmen about the need for research. They can practice some of their desired efficiency and spend the millions on a cooperative effort to find a clean coal burning process instead.

The Coal industry is not alone in this style of operation. The Pharmaceutical industry does the same thing. Rather then spending their wealth on research and development as they claim to, they spend billions on direct-to-consumer marketing, and the bribery….er “professional development” of doctors and Congressmen. Pharmaceutical companies are extremely important to our country and our economy, but they need spend their money to make more valuable drugs not to make their drugs more valuable.

(The above facts about the coal industry are the taken word of PBS)

Shine Forth