I just got done looking at some “man-caves” online, so of course, I figured it’d be a good time to off-load all the photos I’ve been accumulating over the last several weeks and show off my own *sic* man-cave now:

Oh well – it might not win any awards, but the “office space” works for us. We do need to get a lower chair now though because of the awesome new desk Alex over at Star Auto Care gave us. Thanks Alex!

For better examples of what man-caves should really look like, checkout Sam Martin’s “The quirky world of manspaces”; it has some pretty good ones in there.

WED, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

The Mission of the United Nations Environment Programme is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

We just moved into our current house last year, and with tomorrow being National Arbor Day, it is a perfect opportunity for us to plant a tree – something we’ve been lamenting over for several months now.

The 2009 theme, “Trees are Terrific…in Cities and Towns!” was designed to increase student’s understanding of the importance of trees in a community. Here is the official Arbor Day poster for this year:

I’ve also added the “don’t blow it” app to my Facebook page – why?

For every new player, a low-allergenic tree will be planted with American Forests, up to our goal of 20,000 trees. Why? Because studies suggest that higher levels of carbon dioxide and a warmer atmosphere may increase pollen production, which in turn triggers nasal allergy symptoms. And tree planting is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of CO2 in the air.

To help protect the environment, I pledge to:

1. Use less water! Take showers instead of baths, fix leaks, and turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. And buy efficient fixtures by looking for the WaterSense label.
2. Save electricity! Do a home energy audit, get programmable thermostats, buy Energy Star products, turn stuff off when you’re done, and change your bulbs to compact fluorescents.
3. Reduce, reuse, recycle! Try to find products with less packaging, take reusable bags on shopping trips, creatively reuse other products, and recycle what’s left.
4. Test your home for radon! Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless gas that can seep into your home and cause lung cancer.
5. Use chemicals safely! Read pesticide labels carefully. Lock up pesticides, paints, and cleaners where kids can’t reach them.

Things are really starting to shape up around here…

“Endangered species are breathing a deep sigh of relief today. The consultation process is the heart of the Endangered Species Act power. By reversing Bush’s attempt to deregulate the consultation process, Obama restored oversight and balance and has given endangered species a good fighting chance of survival.” – Obama Restoring Endangered Species Act Provision

For all the nay-sayers in the house – yea, you know who you are – scientists have just published more information on global warming’s effects on the polar regions, confirming the sad state of our environment that will probably not heal itself for several millennium.

IPY has provided a critical boost to polar research during a time in which the global environment is changing faster than ever in human history. It now appears clear that the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass contributing to sea level rise. Warming in the Antarctic is much more widespread than it was thought prior to the IPY, and it now appears that the rate of ice loss from Greenland is increasing.

It’s a sad day when the country that has long had a stranglehold on manufacturing just about everything you can think of is also the country that is putting out so much CO2 in the atmosphere.

In case there’s any doubt about that, NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory will be evaluating CO2 across the globe when it reaches space.

*UPDATE: Unfortunately, this morning’s lift-off didn’t gain enough altitude for some strange reason:

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory failed to reach orbit this morning after a 4:55 a.m. EST liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Several minutes into the flight of the Taurus rocket … the payload fairing failed to separate.