The following message from long-time environmental advocate, Robert Redford, urges Americans to protest President Bush’s plan to auction off Utah’s Redrock wilderness to oil and gas speculators on December 19. It was sent to you by the NRDC action fund http://www.nrdcactionfund.org. The NRDC Action Fund is an affiliate of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Dear Friend,

No one voted on Election Day to hand over Utah’s Redrock wilderness to oil companies.

But the Bush Administration cynically chose that very day to advance an outrageous plan that will sell off leases for some 300,000 acres of spectacular Utah canyonlands to oil and gas speculators.

While America was voting for Barack Obama and his vision of a clean energy future, Bush and Cheney’s underlings were conspiring to plunder one of the crown jewels of our natural heritage for their fossil fuel cronies.

Please register your own opposition right now.

http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/wilderness_giveaway

The auction of Redrock country will take place on December 19. At stake are world-renowned vistas near Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, as well as near Dinosaur National Monument. The highest bidders will earn the right to turn vast tracts of pristine wilderness into industrial wastelands.

It’s bad enough that Bush officials went behind the backs of the American people with this disastrous scheme. But what’s worse, they didn’t even tell their own National Park Service until after the fact.

In my mind, this theft of our heritage goes beyond the cynical — it’s criminal. What will be left to give to our children and their children if we allow this administration, in a parting shot, to destroy our legacy of public lands for short-term gain?

I hope you’re as angry as I am about this blatant land grab, because we’ve got to stop it — and we have to act fast. The NRDC Action Fund is mobilizing more than one million Americans in an outpouring of protest over the coming days.

Send your own message of opposition immediately. Tell the Bush Administration that you will not allow it to destroy one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/wilderness_giveaway

We’ll automatically send copies of your message to your two Senators, your representative, and to the Obama transition team, which has signaled their opposition to this disastrous attack on our Redrock heritage.

The Bush Administration is racing to complete the auction of our lands before Inauguration Day, which will make sales difficult to reverse.

We must fend off this land grab now — before the oil and gas companies can lay claim to the spoils.

Those spoils include stretches of Desolation Canyon, which has been proposed for national park status. Bush’s own Interior Department describes the canyon as “a place where a visitor can experience true solitud — where the forces of nature continue to shape the colorful, rugged landscape.”

The very idea of oil and gas operations invading these remote sanctuaries — which have remained untouched for millennia — is deeply upsetting. Once the dirty deed is done, our wilderness can never be restored. That’s why I’m asking you to help us sound the alarm and organize now.

Tell the Bush Administration to cancel the Redrock auction. Remind them that we the people are the rightful owners of this majestic wilderness and that we won?t stand for its destruction.

http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/wilderness_giveaway

And thank you for joining with me and the NRDC Action Fund to save these beautiful wildlands for all future generations.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford NRDC Action Fund

P.S. After you send your own message of protest, I’ll let you know of an easy way to spread the word to your friends and family. With only 10 days 1 day to mobilize one million Americans, I’m counting on you to rally everyone you know to speak out and save this precious wilderness from destruction.

The BMW Mini E electric car uses a 5,088-cell lithium-ion battery pack that is the size of the back seat. A lithium-ion battery of that size can provides about 93 miles per charge. read more about the BMW Mini E all electric car.

Lithium-ion batteries have long been used in laptops cell phones, game boys and other fun sized electronic devices, as well as rechargeable batteries around the house. All we wait for is the battery manufacturer to prove that li-on can work on such a larger scale.

In a non-electric car a lithium ion batter replacing the common nickel-based ones would reduce the weight of the automobile and take up less space. Less weight increases gas mileage, and smaller parts can reduce the space necessary in the engine for the battery. Smaller and already gas efficient car makers will most likey be the primary market for lithium-ion batteries.

Contribute to the discussion if you know of a good one to add!

Label	Description
	Irradiated Food - “Treated with radiation” or “Treated by irradiation” should appear on the labeling of irradiated food products along with the Radura logo. USDA Website
	USDA Certified Organic - For labeling items that follow the USDA / NOP standards and guidelines. USDA Website

On September 3rd 2008, Boston Massachusetts’ Mayor Thomas M. Menino teamed up with the Mass Audubon Society to promote the new initiative Lights out Boston.
Lights out Boston was primarily created to help migrating birds who have trouble adapting to urban areas during their fall migration. According to the Mass Audubon Society migrating birds often become confused when encountering brightly lit buildings at night and “they may become disoriented, and aimlessly circle an illuminated tower until they collide with it, or else become so exhausted they fall to the ground.”^[1]

This new initiative has Boston area property owners and managers voluntarily shutting off, or dimming the lights in their properties. Especially their high rise properties above the 30th floor between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. until the end of the fall bird migration season, which ends October 31st 2008. This includes internal window lighting as well as external lighting, such as decorative architectural lighting.
The program also suggests that cleaning crews work one floor at a time and work from the top down.

Some participating property owners are:

• Beacon Capital Partners, LLC
• BOMA – Building Owners and Mangers Association
• Boston Properties
• Brookfield Properties
• Broadway Capital
• CB Richard Ellis
• Chifaro Associates
• Equity Office
• Hines
• ING Clarion
• Pembroke Real Estate
• Tishman Speyer
• UGL Unicco

Checkout a graphic created by the Boston Globe displaying some of the participating buildings via Boston.com.

Lights out is not a new idea, similar programs have already been implemented in Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York and Toronto

Benefits of the Initiative

Additional benefits of the Lights out Boston program, as listed by the Mass Audubon Society

• Save birds, especially during fall and spring migration periods
• Save energy and reduce the heat-trapping gases that contribute to climate change
• Save money on electricity costs

More Information

You can find more information about Lights out Boston at any of these following resources.

• Mayor’s Office Press Release on Lights out Boston
• Lights out Boston FAQ
• Mass Audubon Society - Lights out Boston
• Lights out, conservation on for city’s tall towers - Boston Globe