Tag Archive for safety

Mound of Plastic in the Back Yard

April 27, 2016 Comments Off on Mound of Plastic in the Back Yard

You probably recycle those plastic bottles and anything else with the recycle symbol on it.  I know I do.  It’s a little thing we can do to help our environment.  Except that there’s a problem.  That is, many U.S. “recylers” haven’t been processing it (or electronic waste) here but shipping it to China, where it’s cheaper to deal with because they toss it into a landfill.  China, drowning in our plastic, is wising up and saying NO MORE!  They now have a Green Fence Policy, which says that they won’t be importing most of that plastic any longer.

What are our recyclers going to do?  And those in Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong? They don’t know yet.  And it’s a big problem–China imports 70% of the 500 million tons of electronic waste and 12 million tons of plastic waste each year that the world creates.

This will be costly (labor, technology, environmental safety standards), but it’s past time to actually recycle  the waste rather than letting it pile up in landfills in China’s–or our–back yard.

 

 

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On Harrison Ford, Small Airports, and Housing

March 6, 2015 Comments Off on On Harrison Ford, Small Airports, and Housing

The Harrison Ford plane crash on Penmar Golf Course in Venice, CA, has spotlighted again the dangers of living close to a small airport.  We have the same situation here, in my hometown of San Jose, CA.  People are upset by the nearness of the municipal airport to their homes.

This baffles me.  In our case, the small-aircraft airport was built, then housing built up around it later.  In the case of Penmore, it appears that the airport and some homes were being built at the same time and others built later around it.  My question is, Why build homes in an unsafe area?  Or, in the case of people having homes where an airport is proposed, why not fight it harder (Venice is NOT a poor area).

Fast forward to today from 1962, when Penmore was built, or from 1937, when our Reid-Hillview Airport had its ground-breaking.  Houses have changed hands many times.  Why did people buy them, choosing to live so close to what they’re now calling a big danger?  Even if air traffic for light planes has increased over the years, a reasonable person whould have foreseen that.

I don’t mean to minimize people’s fear for their families’ safety in their own homes, although damage and injury from planes in such an area is quite rare.  But I do expect people to think before they act and, once they’ve made the decision, to respect the rights of others who use or work at the airport.  In other words, they should live with their decision or move.

 

 

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Will Your Tires Kill You?

May 14, 2014 Comments Off on Will Your Tires Kill You?

Aging tires can be dangerous, say studies done by the National Transportation Safety Board.  They deteriorate in the store, and they’re kept until they’re sold.  You might even buy a 10- or 15-year old tire that has rubber that’s breaking down and steel belts that are weakening.

Most of us just look at the tread and figure our tires are fine…sort of a “not-bald-is-beautiful” attitude.  That doesn’t mean they’re safe, though.

When you buy tires, look for the manufacturer’s code date.  Find the string of numbers on the tire.  The last four are the code for the day and the year of manufacturer.  For example, if the tire was made after 2000, “6811” means that it was made on the 68th day of 2011.  If you’re checking the tires you have now, be advised that there may be a different date on each of the four you’re driving on.

How Old Are Your Tires? Your Safety May Depend on the Answer has more information on tire age, safety, where to find the code number, and how to read code numbers on tires made before 2000.

Then, go check your tires!  I want my readers to be safe!

 

 

 

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Feed Your Rescued Guinea Pig Frozen Broccoli but not Coffee

March 3, 2014 Comments Off on Feed Your Rescued Guinea Pig Frozen Broccoli but not Coffee

There’s a month for almost everything.  To prove it, I looked around and found the following intriguing March celebrations.  I’ve given you links to find out more about many of them.

Adopt a Recued Guinea Pig Month (http://www.examiner.com/article/adopt-a-rescued-guinea-pig-month)

Bell Peppers and Broccoli Month (http://www.examiner.com/article/did-you-know-it-s-broccoli-and-bell-pepper-month)

National Caffeine Awareness Month http://mcg.metrocreativeconnection.com/publish/sections/calendar-details.php?National-Caffeine-Awareness-Month-110)

National Craft Month (http://tiffanylanehandmade.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/march-national-craft-month-2014)

National Frozen Food Month (http://www.nfraweb.org/promotions/promotion.aspx?PromotionId=58)

National Week of The Ocean Festival Sea-son (http://www.national-week-of-the-ocean.org)

March is also Humorists Are Artists Month, International Expect Success Month, International Ideas Month, International Listening Awareness Month, International Mirth Month, National Cheerleading Safety Month, National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month, National On-Hold Month, National Peanut Month, Optimism Month, Play The Recorder Month, Sing With Your Child Month,  and—of course!– Irish-American Heritage Month.

Now, don’t try to tell me that you’re bored because there’s nothing to do this month!

 

 

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Auto-Drive Life

May 31, 2013 Comments Off on Auto-Drive Life

The DMV can change my life!  They’re devising rules for self-driving cars.  It will probably mean some sort of training or test, then a sticker on our driver’s license authorizing a person to be a passenger in such a car.  The technology already has safety-features built into it, and there will be more.  For example, a sophisticated computer monitors speed and proximity to other vehicles, and it can react to sudden dangers, like an elephant falling from the pick-up in front of us.  (They’re worried that a computer might not react as quickly as a human, but consider all the drunk drivers, brand-new drivers, and ones who should have given up their licenses years ago for a variety of reasons.)  Also, the computer would not talk on a cell phone, eat McDonald’s, apply make-up, squeeze a zit, let Fluffy ride on its lap, or turn around to break up a fight between Suzie and Johnny…it would just drive.

All this sounds good to me.  But let’s not stop there.  After all, living life is just as dangerous as driving a car.  Training, a license, safety-features, no negative distractions—why not?  Give me a self-driving life, please!

Low Rider

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Bostonians Should Have Been Armed

May 6, 2013 2 comments

Boston should have been better armed, says the NRA. All households should have had guns to protect themselves from the escaping bombers.  They would have been safer and not as fearful or nervous.

I agree, but only with a few provisions during an actual incident: 1) The family’s designated shooter (Guardian) must have completed formal training in handling and shooting the specific gun he’s armed with.  2) The Guardian must have taken courses (e.g., meditation) to learn to calm himself in extremely stressful situations and focus his attention and vigilance on his Guardianship role.  3) The gun must be registered so that if it is wrested from him in a scuffle with the perpetrators it can be returned to him when it’s recovered. 4) The family must all be home and stay in a designated safe-room so that they don’t startle the focused Guardian, possibly causing him to shoot a loved one. They must stay there, no matter how many hours or days it takes, until the perpetrator is captured and announced by the authorities as in police custody. 5) All doors and windows must remain locked until capture is announced.  6) No pets will be allowed outside to relieve themselves, as noise that they make may cause a neighbor-Guardian to panic and waste bullets on the family dog.  7) The police must notify the homeowner in advance of storming his home or property so that a shoot-out between them and the Guardian doesn’t accidentally occur.

With these seven simple provisions, a community can be ready for any threat it may face. Its people can relax in the safety of their own homes, as is the American way.

 

 

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PG&E: Give Us Our Money Back!

April 15, 2013 Comments Off on PG&E: Give Us Our Money Back!

PG&E is full of gas!  A new PUC report shows that the utility decided NOT to spend $93.5 million authorized for improving gas lines.

According to that PUC report, between 1987 and 1999, of the money they were authorized to spend to upgrade old pipelines, they chose to spend $183 million less.  Yes, they have made some upgrades , spending a little more than $2 million on that in the last 25 years.  As they’re undertaking repairs/replacements now, I can’t help wondering at how much higher a cost, what with inflation and putting off the work that needed to be done.  Note that PG&E spent $89.9 million more than they were supposed to 2000-2010.

Why didn’t PG&E use that money in the first place, before 1996, when most of their non-spending was going on?  They’ve always claimed that public safety and a reliable system are their cherished goals. Yet, they put off what turned out to be critical repairs and upgrades  They could do this because of utilities’ ability to oversee themselves and spend on what they deem important—or hold back the money for later.  The PUC gives them this autonomy.  The PUC claims they’ll start auditing PG&E more closely, but I’d bet that San Bruno residents would say it’s too late!  Besides, it took the PUC two months just to get the spending data out of PG&E!

We’ve been paying extra for pipeline repair for some time and not getting it.  I agree with the San Francisco-based consumer group The Utility Reform Network that PG&E should prove to us that they’re spending that money wisely and making significant repairs and upgrades…or GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!

 

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