Disney is One Road Block to Eco Awareness in Orlando

Europe is so far ahead of us environmentally. I have been scanning the Internet trying to wrap my brain around what eco-driven innovations are actually happening in the world. What I see over and over again is that Orlando is in the dark ages compared to other areas. As I have surveyed the eco-friendly innovative things happening in other areas, I started wondering about Orlando. What is it about this place that keeps us in the dark ages of the environmental movement?

I believe that some of the first groups to help bring innovative ideas to the market place are artist and musicians. They are often on the leading edge of change. In Orlando we have Disney and Disney pulls all of the talent toward it, like a giant magnet. Why create small entrepreneurial art venues to showcase people's talent when you can go and perform at Disney? Any local endeavor is always competing with Disney. Disney is the ultimate place to perform. Getting to perform at Disney is a big incentive and make it difficult to permute that arts locally.

Orlando has Mickey Mouse as its soul which robs our city of the diversity in the arts that it could have because we are over shadowed by the Mouse. Disney soaks up all of the creative energy that would otherwise thrive in our community. This impacts so many other areas of our fair city, and stifles innovation indirectly. That is one reason I think we are so far behind and in most cases, totally clueless about the environmental milestones that are being crossed all over the globe.

Netizen

The term Netizen is a portmanteau of the English words Internet and citizen. It is defined as an entity or person actively involved in online communities and a user of the Internet, especially an avid one. The term can also imply an interest in improving the Internet, especially in regard to open access and free speech. Netizens are also commonly referred to as cybercitizens, which has the same meaning.

Netizen

The term Netizen is a portmanteau of the English words Internet and citizen. It is defined as an entity or person actively involved in online communities and a user of the Internet, especially an avid one. The term can also imply an interest in improving the Internet, especially in regard to open access and free speech. Netizens are also commonly referred to as cybercitizens, which has the same meaning.

Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometers. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered one of the additive primary colors. On the HSV color wheel, also known as the RGB color wheel, the complement of green is magenta; that is, a purple color corresponding to an equal mixture of red and blue light. On a color wheel based on traditional color theory (RYB), the complementary color to green is considered to be red.

The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, "to grow". It is used to describe plants or the ocean. Sometimes it can also describe someone who is inexperienced, jealous, or sick. In the United States of America, green is a slang term for money, among other things. Several colloquialisms have derived from these meanings, such as "green around the gills", a phrase used to describe a person who looks ill.
Several minerals have a green color, including emerald, which is colored green by its chromium content. Animals such as frogs, lizards, and other reptiles and amphibians, fish, insects, and birds, appear green because of a mixture of layers of blue and green coloring on their skin. By far the largest contributor to green in nature is chlorophyll, the chemical by which plants photosynthesize. Many creatures have adapted to their green environments by taking on a green hue themselves as camouflage.

Culturally, green has broad and sometimes contradictory meanings. In some cultures, green symbolizes hope and growth, while in others, it is associated with death, sickness, envy, or the devil, or both, depending on the context. The most common associations, however, are found in its ties to nature. For example, Islam venerates the color, as it expects paradise to be full of lush greenery. Green is also associated with regeneration, fertility and rebirth for its connections to nature. Recent political groups in Europe and the West have taken on the color as a symbol of environmental protection and social justice, and consider themselves part of the Green movement, some naming themselves Green parties. This has led to similar campaigns in advertising, as companies have sold green, or environmentally friendly, products.

Al Gore Action Agenda

Al Gore's legislative recommendations to the House (March, 2007)
1) An immediate "carbon freeze" that would cap U.S. CO2 emissions at current levels, followed by a 90% reductions by 2050.

2) Start a long-term tax shift to reduce payroll taxes and increase taxes on CO2 emissions.

3) Put aside a portion of carbon tax revenues to help low-income people make the transition

4) Create a strong international treaty by working toward "de facto compliance with Kyoto" and moving up the start date for Kyoto's successor from 2012 to 2010.

5) Implement a moratorium on construction of new coal-fired power plants that are not compatible with carbon capture and sequestration.

6) Create an "ELECTRANET" -- a smart electricity grid that allows individuals and businesses to feed power back in at prevailing market rates.

7) Raise automobile CAFE standards.

8) Set a date for a ban on incandescent light bulbs.

9) Create "Connie Mae," a carbon-neutral mortgage association, to help defray the upfront costs of energy-efficient building.

10) Have the SEC require disclosure of carbon emissions in corporate reporting, as a relevant "material risk."