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Waiting for SUPERMAN....

Submitted by lmcshane on Fri, 03/18/2011 - 16:02.


Waiting for Superman...and waiting..and waiting..and waiting...

 

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EPA's 2005 National Air Toxins Assessment looks at human health impacts from estimated, chronic air toxin exposure

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 06:14.

EPA's 2005 National Air Toxins Assessment human cancer risk from estimated, chronic inhalation exposures based on emissions data from the 2005 National Emissions Inventory for hazardous air pollutants, assuming these emissions remain constant throughout one's lifetime
EPA's 2005 National Air Toxins Assessment looks at human health impacts from estimated, chronic inhalation exposures based on emissions data from the
2005 National Emissions Inventory for hazardous air pollutants, assuming these emissions remain constant throughout one's lifetime

On March 11, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a press release (below) and held conference calls supporting release of the fourth update of the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) - a computer tool that helps federal, state, local governments and other stakeholders better understand the potential health risks from exposure to air toxics.  The EPA  states: "the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) contains 2005 emissions data submitted primarily from the states for 178 pollutants. Models are used to make broad estimates of health risks for areas of the country.  The tool is not designed to determine actual health risks to individuals living in these areas." "Because the data submitted varies from state to state, it is also not possible to use the data to compare risks between different areas of the country."

As someone who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, which the Federal EPA and their NATA prove is highly polluted and unhealthy, I truly appreciate access to all environmental data management and mapping services the EPA may provide, as real-time as possible. These federal government tools offer citizens access to information that allows us to make better life-decisions - like where to live - and empowers us to be better environmental stewards - like shutting down coal pollution in our own backyards.

The steepness of the drop prompted a skeptical reaction at Cleveland City Hall. "We believe it is a significant undercount"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 01:44.


Data provided by U.S. Census Bureau.

Cleveland Sees Plunge in Population, reports the Wall Street Journal today, announcing: "A larger-than-expected exodus from Cleveland during the past decade shrunk the city's population by 17% to about 397,000, according to U.S. Census data released Wednesday." That's right, Cleveland's population has crashed below the 400K floor for the first time since around the start of the 20th Century, which triggers all sorts of unsustainable, shrinking, un-re-imaginable financial and political realities for leadership and citizens here.

Perhaps the only silver lining is that this proof of Cleveland political and leadership failure will have a significant price of leaders' heads. From the Wall Street Journal:

Political observers said the decline could tilt the balance of political power in one of America's most hotly contested swing states.

"Ohio is expected to lose two congressional districts, and this big decline in Cleveland suggests that both could come out of northeastern Ohio," a Democratic stronghold, said John Green, a University of Akron political-science professor.

Peak Drupal 2011: Real Drops of Open Source Alternate Energy to Fuel and Feed Villagers in "The Social Network" Desert

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 03/02/2011 - 15:00.

Screen Shot of White House Gov website March 2 2011

At the beginning of the 21st Century - a time when the pace of global evolution was certain to be astounding in every way, in accelerating change each day - especially as driven by transformational new Information Technologies (IT) and services - a serious, young college computer science student wrote some historic collaboration software, in his dorm-room, to help his fellow students communicate more effectively in their evolving, un-tethering, socially-networked world, and that software has been helping citizens freely interconnect with greater impact each day since, to save the world.

The early days of this software are beloved, in real geek-lore:

In 2000, permanent Internet connections were at a premium for University students, so two students set up a wireless bridge between their student dorms to share one of the students' ADSL modem connection among eight students. While this was an extremely luxurious situation at that time, something was missing: There was no means to discuss or share simple things.

This inspired the other student to work on a small news site with a built-in web board, allowing the group of friends to leave each other notes about the status of the network, to announce where they were having dinner, or to share some noteworthy news items.

The software did not have a name until the day after that student moved out after graduation. The group decided to put the internal website on-line so they could stay in touch, keep sharing interesting findings, and narrate snippets of their personal lives. While looking for a suitable domain name...

Dear Governor Kasich: Show REAL NEO You Are Serious About Ohio's Future By Ending The $3.5+ Billion ODOT I-90 Bridge Fiasco Here

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 07:10.


Cleveland Institute of Art BA and Kent State University Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative planning Master Joseph Stanley
had a more intelligent design for the future of Cleveland than the leaders of our community have embraced - BIG SURPRISE... he's not an idiot!

Dear Governor Kasich:

Show REAL NEO You Are Serious About Ohio's Future By Ending The $3.5+ Billion ODOT I-90 Bridge Fiasco Here!

I'm sure, with little effort, you may find leadership in Columbus and the great-big-real-world to brief you on the runaway stupidity and corruption surrounding the "planning" by corrupt "idiots", as you say, at Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), to replace our poorly maintained I-90 bridge over the polluted Cuyahoga River into Downtown Cleveland's Innerbelt "Trench". My good friend Ed Hauser was leading the battle against this stupidity before he was killed by pollution exposure here, and I am asking you to take his place fighting for our citizens. The war is well documented here on realNEO - and nowhere else on Earth. Google "realNEO ODOT Dream" or search within realNEO for links to ODOT, Bridge, Cleveland and Hauser.

To speed-up your assessment, I include below some links I have surfaced from our years of battling government stupidity, corruption and incompetence with ODOT here, as well as my most recent posting on realNEO about this matter.

Dear Very Reverend Lind and supporters of Trinity Cathedral: Praying for your health, happiness and wisdom

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 15:14.

As I informed the Very Reverend Lind, of Trinity Cathedral, I am posting this outreach for the help of her good people to move Cleveland Thermal and so Cleveland beyond coal. Please reach out to these friends of the community with your words of support for a cleaner, safer, healthier, more prosperous Cleveland and NEO for all, beyond coal.

Dear Reverend Lind and supporters of Trinity Cathedral:
Norm Roulet <norm [at] realneo [dot] us>     Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 4:01 PM
To: tlind [at] dohio [dot] org
Cc: Nachy Kanfer <nachy [dot] kanfer [at] sierraclub [dot] org>
Dear Very Reverend Lind and supporters of Trinity Cathedral:

I appreciate your presence and good work in this community, and know you are prominent preachers for goodness, on a good Earth.

It has come to my attention that Trinity Cathedral is a customer of the Cleveland Thermal coal steam plant in the Flats, providing excessively-polluting utilities to your facilities on Euclid Avenue - that is featured on their website at http://www.clevelandthermal.com/services/case-studies

Cimperman for Congress 2008 - Top Donors - featuring Charles Evans from Dominion Cleveland Thermal for $2,000

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 13:52.

Cimperman for Congress 2008 - Top Donors - featuring Charles Evans from Dominion Cleveland Thermal for $2,000 - I assume the DiSanto, Frederick D. of Ancora Advisors LLC listed here for $2,300 is the same Ancora of Grenwich, Connecticut that bought Cleveland Thermal from Dominion in 2004:

RICHMOND, Va., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion (NYSE: D) announced today that it has agreed to sell Dominion Cleveland Thermal to Ancora Management LLC of Greenwich, Connecticut. Closing is expected in the fourth quarter of 2004. Terms of the sale were not disclosed and the sale is subject to regulatory approval.

Look at all the other corrupting industrial and developer scum on Cimpermans buy-list who have been screwing Cleveland... wonder what each one wanted in return for their $1,000s... lucky Cimperman lost by a mile. Time to rid Cleveland of the power of all these self-serving, citizen-killing parasites forever!
 

Top 100 Donations/Contributions in the '08 Election Cycle to
JOE CIMPERMAN FOR CONGRESS

Name/
Location
Employer/
Occupation
Contribution
$ Amount
Primary/
General
Date
Adams, Al T.
Cleveland, OH
44114
Baker/Attorney $2,300 P 02/12/2008
Alexander, Anthony
Akron, OH
44308
FirstEnergy Corporation/President $2,300 P 02/28/2008

Cleveland Thermal Energy and The Plain Dealer Publishing Company... I know the Pieces Fit!

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 12:12.

An ambient film of real NEO people walking, shot from outside the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper headquarters, featuring late afternoon activity in the newsroom as seen from Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, realNEO... "Schism" by TOOL is playing in the background, accompanied by the sounds of realNEO..

I've often wondered why the Cleveland Plain Dealer has been so disrespectful and harmful to me - I believe the following documents will explain - The Cleveland Plain Dealer is a Cleveland Thermal customer and so Cleveland Environmental Justice criminal - I know the Pieces Fit!

Document Record

View Image
Date Filed:  Document Type:  Number of pages:  Case Numbers:  Summary: 
2/5/1997 7:20:03 AM
TX-Text
000012
89-0362-HT-AEC
Alternate energy steam service agreement between Cleveland thermal Energy and The Plain Dealer Publishing Company, filed on behalf of applicant by S. Howard. (12 pgs.)

Shoreway Sunset February 13 2010

Submitted by ANGELnWard14 on Mon, 02/14/2011 - 01:45.
Shoreway Sunset February 13 2010

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! I pray that you know the unconditional love of a child in your world... I pray that you know your blessings despite your challenges. I pray that the endearing friendships you enjoy will endure all of life's moments. May God Bless All! Happy Valentine's Day, my friends!

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Request from EPA for public comment on a CONCEPT PAPER FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER - perfect for NEO

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 10:34.


Environmental Justice Community Representative speaking at First White House Environmental Justice Forum

Please find below a fascinating request from the U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION (OAR) for public comment on a CONCEPT PAPER FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER. The OAR is taking the lead in developing a learning center or institute for environmental justice community members to increase community awareness and understanding of environmental risks stemming from pollution and related environmental justice concerns. This effort will build communities’ capacity to participate in the protection of their air, water, and land resources. This represents Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has made one of EPA’s key priorities under her leadership.

Regarding the challenge being addressed... from Administrator Jackson, in releasing this concept paper for public input:

Many minority, low-income, and indigenous people have been historically underrepresented in environmental decision making, while at times experiencing higher levels of environmental pollution and other social and economic burdens that result in poorer health outcomes. Many members of these communities have not been able to participate effectively in environmental decision making in part because they lack the background and information they need for meaningful participation. As a result, EPA does not always benefit from important community input.

It is my strong belief Administrator Jackson's statement perfectly describes Northeast Ohio - these are the words that should have been said by Cleveland's Mayor Jackson, as citizen and community leader... for decades! These are the words citizens of Northeast Ohio must hear from our leaders for the future.

Walking on the moon

Submitted by lmcshane on Sun, 02/06/2011 - 20:11.

There are two classes in Cleveland--those with cars and those who walk and ride public transit.  For those who walk--it's like being on the moon and looking at another universe far, far away.

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Hot Sauce Williams Shows The World What's Hot In Cleveland With Release Of Pot Sauce Williams MMJ Infused Sauces In Colorado

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 02/04/2011 - 10:30.

Hot Sauce Williams ribs with Pot Sauce Williams MMJ Infused Sauce

On October 27, 2010, I published on realNEO Understanding The Cannabis Divide, where I wrote "I've been exploring the growing cannabis divide in America, which increasingly offers affluent whites the right to legally prosper and use marijuana while poor blacks go to jail for minor marijuana charges. I've been traveling out west, meeting with associates and exploring economic development opportunities in specific regions that offer synergistic benefits to stakeholders in NEO, interested to participate in the cannabis economy now, legally. To offer Ohio businesses legal access into the cannabis economy, I am working with folks in the Denver/Boulder area to put in place what we call Grohio - a cooperative facilities-based cannabis think tank, advocacy organization, political action committee, venture capital fund, research and development institute and enterprise incubator, designed to help drive innovation at the bleeding edge of cannabis commerce world-wide, and allow Ohio entrepreneurs to fully participate in the cannabis economy locally in Colorado."

The first market outcome of Grohio Colorado is development of a first-on-Earth line of Cleveland-soul sauces infused with cannabis concentrate, for medical marijuana patients in Colorado (and eventually worldwide), based on original and world-renowned sauce recipes of Cleveland's Williams family, of the historic Hot Sauce Williams Bar-B-Q restaurants... loved in real NEO and worldwide for around 50-years... soon to be available as Pot Sauce Williams sauces infused with MMJ, where legal.

The Pot Sauce Williams sauces are the result of a collaboration between the Grohio team in Cleveland and Denver, working with cannabis concentrates experts at OrganaLabs, of Colorado, and Hot Sauce Williams Special Projects Manager Greg Williams, of Ohio... and taste tests by qualified medical marijuana consumers are all raves!

Siberian Dawn Mist

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 15:11.
Siberian Dawn Mist

This banner is for Elaine Wallace whose funeral is today in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Cuyahoga County gets $4.5 million to curb lead in homes - Coverage on Cleveland.com - Comments Below for Protection

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 02:09.

I'm pleased to see the Cleveland Plain Dealer giving coverage to HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims presenting a $4.5 million Federal Grant to Cuyahoga County to Protect Citizens from Lead Poisoning... on Cleveland.com, at least. Here is their advance story... Cuyahoga County gets $4.5 million to curb lead in homes. Especially insightful, from this coverage: "HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims is traveling to Cleveland on Friday not only to present the grant to Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald but also to formally announce the nearly $127 million HUD will spend for the communities nationwide with the highest rates of lead poisoning. Cuyahoga County and the city of Cincinnati received the largest of six grants awarded in Ohio. The city of Lorain is getting $2.1 million."

Most alarming, in coverage on Cleveland.com, is the feedback of trolls and readers registered there. As the parent of lead poisoned children, I now know what it is like to be a rape victim blamed for being raped. I have corrected some of the misinformation of truly despicable posters there - at least until Cleveland.com for some reason FROZE MY ACCOUNT.

I will say, for any poor behavior on realNEO - at the user and Admin level - it does not begin to compare with the wretchedness of life on Cleveland.com. I've posted below the comments up until I was blocked access, to protect them and save me the effort of rewriting my thoughts for you... I guess they own my voice and words on Cleveland.com now, and they don't want the world to know the truth about lead poisoning in their fair city.

And that is why there is such serious lead poisoning in their fair city...

 jmsullivan  January 27, 2011 at 11:06PM

I don't care about being an ignoramus about lead paint. I will venture to guess that over 90% of us were raised in homes built prior to 1978 which means they had lead based paint in them. My mom did not allow me to chew on the window sills, the house was meticiulously maintained and I have never known one person, not one, have any problems with lead poisoning. This is about common sense. For those that think we are ignorant, have you paid $13,000 on your personal dwelling to eliminate lead paint. If not, then why are you expecting us to spend our money on something that we thing is just plain STUPID and a WASTE

2011 realNEO Annual Report - Who really reads it anymore? Update on site statistics

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 04:40.


Google Analytics of weekly realNEO visits and pageviews from December 01, 2008 to January 26, 2011

As I've reported over the past year, while sharing realNEO site statistics with members - most recently, in November, marking our 7th year - realNEO traffic demonstrates very consistent month-to-month and year-to-year growth for visitors, visits and pages viewed. Where there are dips, like each Christmas holiday season, there is year-to-year growth - we've always had strong, consistent, steady performance as illustrated above, since December 2008 (the first month we had reliable Google analytics).

Can realNEO be improved, or even saved? (you do not have to log in to vote)

Submitted by westward on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 14:06.

HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims Will Present $4.5 million Federal Grant to Cuyahoga County to Protect Citizens from Lead Poisoning

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 01/24/2011 - 15:56.

The Greater Cleveland Health Homes Advisory Council (formerly the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council) has announced a press conference, January 28, 2011, at 1:30 PM, at Cleveland State University Levin College Atrium, where HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims will present a $4.5 million federal HUD grant to Cuyahoga County to "conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards". The press release states the "grant funding will clean up lead and other health hazards in hundreds of homes, train workers in lead safety methods, and increase public awareness about childhood lead poisoning.  Lead is a known toxin that can impair children’s development and have effects lasting into adulthood."

The obvious objective of this press conference is to encourage the MAINSTREAM MEDIA OF NORTHEAST OHIO to provide better information about lead poisoning prevention to the people of Northeast Ohio, to protect public health and improve our community. Encourage your favorite Media representatives (and politicians) to attend and serve the region better.

Also expected to attend will be Congresswoman Marcia Fudge,  Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and various other elected and appointed officials.

I'm Pleased to Introduce to Real NEO Hemp I Scream - and to Reintroduce Hemp Innovator and Case Alumnus Agua Das

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 01/24/2011 - 02:25.

Hemp I Scream Product Line

It is funny how things work out.

I went to the Hemp Industry Association conference looking for hemp-based energy solutions, to help address our pollution crisis in Northeast Ohio, and I found a delicious, healthful hemp dessert, too - Hemp I Scream.

As I learned more about the inventor of Hemp I Scream - the founder of Hemp Sources, Inc. - Agua Das, I discovered he is a world leader in hemp innovation, including for energy - "Agua was the first person to make hemp bio-diesel fuel in the modern hemp era in 1993; made from virgin hemp oil he pressed himself."

As I got to know Das better, I learned he studied engineering at Case, and still has good feelings for the school and Northeast Ohio. He lived on Hessler, and was involved in starting up the Street Fair, in the beginning... we know some of the same people still there, from way back.

So the expert with the energy solutions we need in Northeast Ohio studied engineering in Northeast Ohio... and makes awesome desserts, too. Nice coincidences.

Canada sees staggering mildness as planet’s high-pressure record is “obliterated”.... baby, it ain't cold outside!

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 13:59.

Temperature anomalies in North America, 12.10-1.11

Joe Romm reports extremely bad climate news on Climate Progress. Sit down, take a breath (drink... hit...), and read on.... baby, it ain't cold outside! Canada sees staggering mildness as planet’s high-pressure record is “obliterated” - Climate Progress - January 23, 2011

Surface temperature anomalies for the period 17 December 2010 to 15 January 2011 show impressive warmth across the Canadian Arctic….

The largest anomalies here exceed 21°C (37.8°F) above average, which are very large values to be sustained for an entire month.

The disinformers and many in the media love to focus on where it is cold in the winter.  It has been cool where many people live.  Brr!

Unfortunately for homo sapiens, it’s been staggeringly warm where the ice is.  I’ll do a post on Greenland shortly, but the NSF-sponsored researchers at UCAR/NCAR  have posted some staggering data on just how warm it has been in northern Canada:

Welcome to BP’s Energy Outlook 2030 - "it is a wake-up call, not something any of us would like to see happening"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 14:48.

On the January 27, 2011 YouTube Ask The President moderated broadcast, Obama was asked who was his favorite person in math and science. Obama said one of the things he loves about being President is "having access to math and science" and the White House is committed to using technology well. "Serious brainpower out there."

He highlighted his PCAST team and its Director Eric Lander - says he helps make complex science understandable. From MIT - "President-elect Barack Obama on Friday named Eric Lander, the founding director of the Broad Institute, a co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a group that assists the president in making science and technology policy decisions".

BP Energy Outlook 2030 - London, January 2011

Welcome to BP’s Energy Outlook 2030.

The outlook for global energy is not just a matter for energy companies: it’s an issue for all of us. Around the world, there is a lively and important conversation taking place on the choices that face us all – as consumers, producers, investors and policy-makers. By sharing this Energy Outlook, we hope to contribute to that discussion.

Our starting point in contributing to this debate has been BP’s work on the Statistical Review of World Energy, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary. The Statistical Review, which documents trends in the production and use of energy, started out as an internal BP document and was made public for the first time in 1956.

In a similar way, the Energy Outlook, which contains our projections of future energy trends, has been used only internally so far. However, we feel it is part of our responsibility as a company to make important information and analysis available for public debate – all the more so if the issue at hand is as vital to all of us as is energy, its relation to economic development on one side, and to climate change on the other.

In this outlook we seek to identify long term energy trends, and then add our views on the evolution of the world economy, of policy, and technology, to develop a projection for world energy markets to 2030. It is a projection, not a proposition, and this is an important distinction.

You will see, for example, that our outlook expects global CO2 emissions to continue  rising, along with import dependence in many key consuming regions. This does not mean BP downplays the importance of climate change or the role of energy security in international relations. Rather, it reflects a ‘to the best of our knowledge’ assessment of the world’s likely path from today’s vantage point. To me personally, it is a wake-up call, not something any of us would like to see happening.

Duck Island

Submitted by lmcshane on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 03:37.

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