The interesting mix of climates in the state of Oregon makes it a home for hundreds of wild flowers. Oregon wildflowers often make a landscape or an event more colorful and interesting for everyone. These beauties add uniqueness to a place. Oregon is one of the places that offer a great selection of wild flowers. It serves as home to literally hundreds and hundreds of colorful flowers found in different areas of the state. Here are just some of the examples of them:

· Nuttall's Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)

These are Oregon wildflowers that can be identified because of the erect stem that is usually white or pink in color. It does not grow really high as it only reaches half a meter at most. It grows branches a couple of times. It a vividly colored wild flower. Its petals are mostly dark purple or blue in color.

· Calypso Orchid (Calypso bulbosa)

Calypso Orchid is another wild flower native to Oregon. Aside from Calypso orchid, it is also known as fairy slipper or Venus' slipper because of its shape. It comes in different deep colors such as purple pink or red.

· Red Columbine (Aquilegia Formosa)

The Red Columbine grows to an approximate of 20-80 centimeters in height. This wild flower grows in desert floors. However, it can also grow on stream banks where the area is moist. The Red Columbine is edible. It has a sweet taste. However, it must be eaten with caution as its seeds are slightly poisonous.

These are just a few of the many wonderful Oregon wildflowers and there is always a new wild flower surprise around every corner.

Recently, films such as Food Inc. and King Corn have made Americans much more aware of how their meat eating habits affect the rest of the planet. From all of the excess corn that is grown, to the petroleum required to harvest that corn, to the pesticides being sprayed all over the fields, to the inhumane and dirty factory-farms that animals are grown on, it's clear that America needs to cut it's dependence on beef, pork and chicken as major sources of protein. That's not to say that Americans shouldn't eat those meats altogether, but if every individual would cut back greatly, it would help reduce the habitat damage that factory farming is causing.

When Americans start to cut back on their meat and poultry intake, they'll still be able to find good sources of protein elsewhere. Thankfully, fish can be one of the healthiest proteins to eat, both for the eater and for the environment. As long as fisheries are following federal regulations that guard against habitat damage, consumers can eat fresh fish packed with antioxidants and nutrients without feeling guilty. Although the current disaster in the Gulf has greatly affected sea life in the area, Americans can still enjoy fish from other areas of the country where the fish populations are healthy, such as Alaska. If you're worried about all the habitat damage that your meat-eating ways may be contributing to, start to replace some of the meat in your diet with seafood.

Anyone can run into a general store and purchase a trinket, wrap it up, and give it to a loved one as a gift. However, buying green shows that much more thought has gone into the present. When a product is green, it has passed a rigorous set of requirements. No pesticides, chemicals, toxins, or other potentially hazardous materials were used to make it. This is closely linked to buying things with an organic label. When something is organic, it means a specific process was used without subjecting the plant material to pesticides, harsh fertilizers, or waste water. It also means no genetically modified plants or organisms were used.

There are many green gifts that friends and family alike will love. Organic cotton can be used to make clothing, bedding, and an assortment of other goods. Not only does this material feel great, but it is safe and environmentally friendly as well. Many items we do not think much about such as lotions, soaps, and beauty products, can all contain strong and unnecessary chemical elements. When these are organic, they are of a higher quality and the products are safe.

Buying green gifts will show friends and family that they are loved. By being conscious of our environmental choices, we will live longer and happier lives. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by being a green consumer!

"The world is getting hotter - see the 'unassailable' scientific evidence!"

"No, the world is not getting hotter - here is evidence that your science is dodgy"

"In fact the world may be getting cooler - you just need to look at the weather patterns holistically, and over many centuries"

"I don't need science to tell me what I am eyeballing week in week out - the increasing storms, floods, and other natural disasters all combine to tell me something: that the world is having febrile convulsions. And as you know, every fever is due to high temperature; do you still want to argue about global warming?"

"You're all wrong! My book of faith tells me that the end of the world (as we know it) is nigh, and these are the signs. Better 'believe', to save yourselves!"

Etc, etc.

You would be forgiven for wanting to go right back to sleep, because the one thing that underlies all the noise and shoving and poking is that although we all know something is happening, we haven't got a clue as to exactly what. (Here is where I expect those who swear by "the science" to come on the attack, to condemn my "heretical utterances" and try to 'neutralise' me for my own good!)

It is however fair, indeed logical, to say that all the opposing voices could be wrong - and right, at the same time! From a purely scientific point of view, it is clear that our empirical knowledge of weather systems is based on our detailed observations of the natural environment over millennia. But our observations of Nature are woefully incomplete and inadequate, as we do not know quite a lot of relatively basic things, such as the fundamental purpose of the cockroach in the grand scheme of the ecosystem, to mention just one innocuous point. (I don't know the answer to that one, but neither does anyone else )

If our knowledge of Nature is to evolve to the point of helping us understand what is happening to our weather systems, we need to be asking the really big questions, some of which are:

Is Nature limited to what we can evaluate with our current instruments and capabilities?

Are there other influences on Nature that we can and do sense, even if we do not understand and cannot explain them?

What really is "natural efficiency" or the "enforcement of balance" in Nature? Could this have any impact on weather patterns?

Do inventors and manufacturers have any obligation to learn how Nature manages itself and apply the lessons learned to the design and fabrication of goods and processes? Can the principles of cybernetics be applied to Nature on a grand scale?

To retreat into religion or mysticism is unlikely to be satisfactory here, as the human mind, when it is unconstrained, is only satisfied with and by logical consistency. We would therefore do well to remain purely objective and scientific, unfettered by the schemes and agendas of various vested interests. The following "what if" questions and statements can help the individual begin to grapple with the core issues of global warming:

What if the bigger part of global warming is by radiations coming from outside the earth (i.e. 'space'), such that the core of the earth is being heated up and the effects/consequences are manifesting on the surface?

What if the 'discomfort' and disquiet that human beings feel about global warming is due more to a deep-seated perception of a lack of equilibrium in the relationship between humans and the natural world and indeed between humans, rather than any particular acts or habits?

What if there are more processes at play in the global warming question than previously realised or accepted, e.g.

Man's "carbon footprint" affects the environment - to an extent

Man's "feelings of guilt" when faced with evidence of wastage of natural resources or at best poor management of the natural environment

Before scientists and non-scientists alike condemn (which they like to do with almost religious fervour and consistency) these challenging points of view, for "lack of evidence", it should be remembered that science (and human thinking generally) has always more easily found what it was looking for!

Perhaps the most effective "noise cancellation" method in 'climate-ville' is to wear headphones marked "logical consistency" over one ear, and "courageous scrutiny of all the evidence" on the other!

If we're willing to educate ourselves in the right way, take the necessary steps, and get our leaders to address this issue with a lot more importance, then we could slowly start curbing the ill effects of greenhouse gas emission. While this may sound like a simplistic view, it is achievable over a period of time with the right amount of effort.

Petroleum emissions top the list of major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. The innumerable automobiles on the roads these days -- the cars, the trucks, the buses, the vans -- all of them cumulatively emit large amounts of greenhouse gas, creating massive imbalances in our ecology. No doubt, owning a vehicle has become a big necessity for the modern man, right from ensuring his independence to maintaining a job. One car per person has become a norm for the average person in a modern economy while owning two or more cars, a luxury and status symbol.

One of the best ways to curb greenhouse gas emission is to be open to alternative sources of energy. Solar energy, for instance, can be a good source of alternative energy. While this may sound like a superficial solution on the surface, nothing can be far from the truth. It will take some time for this method to catch up; it would require a lot of sacrifices from our end individually and collectively as a society. We would have to adapt to new ways of doing things as opposed to the conventional ways, but it will bring in the desired results.

It may sound trivial if one chooses to drive a hybrid or some other energy efficient car for the sake of curbing greenhouse gas emission, but never underestimate the power of ONE. ONE has the power of multiplying into TWO and then FOUR and so on and so forth, until the trend catches up and becomes a norm. All these will have to be backed up by leaders as they're the ones who can make effective decisions. They're the people who have the power to regulate the corporations.

It sure would be nice to know that we are now focusing on cleanup solely, rather than just trying to keep up with the amount that is coming out of the well, which we have not been able to do.

It is my hope that we can start to turn the corner down here in the gulf region and start feeling positive about what the future holds. Up until this point, just about every oil spill related news has been negative, from BP's inability to cap the well, to the poor response to the disaster, to the moratorium on deepwater drilling, to the handling of the assistance payments; there really just has not been any good news anywhere along the front until today.

The attitude here along the coast has been one of disbelief and uncertainty, because it was evident that no one was clearly in charge and it seemed that every day it was spinning out of control. This overall feeling of uncertainty was unconsciously seeping into everybody's lives in just about everything they did. Having this feeling of uncertainty about your future livelihood, your government, your ability to prosper going forward is pretty depressing and paralyzing, whether you recognize it or not.

Being in the real estate investing business, we have seen a slowdown in activity as people are in a wait and see mode, whether they were conscious of the fact or not. In talking with other investors, I have noticed, while their talk about their business has not changed, their ability to pull the trigger has been impeded. I liken it to a NASCAR race, where everyone thinks they are operating under the yellow flag, higher levels of caution but still going through the motions, however, in their subconscious the red flag is out and they are at a full stop. I would like to see this oil cap as a watershed event that starts to bring back the hope and order down here, drops the subconscious red flags so we can all get back to business.

Everyone knows the key to success in anything is to get out there and take action, do something, get the wheels turning, because you are either moving forward or moving backward. The Gulf Coast region has been moving backward for the last quarter without a doubt. It is time to pick ourselves up and get back to business.

So, while this cap may not work permanently, at least is proves that it is possible, and there is hope that we can return to some semblance of normalcy down here. So, let's celebrate the first real positive momentum since this thing started months ago. After months of doom and gloom, it sure is nice to see at least one ray of sunshine.

Like water bottles and other products that don't decompose readily in the land fills or the ocean, where a lot of debris and trash seems to end up, magazines really put a dent in the amount of paper we waste on a daily basis. In fact, literally thousands of magazines end up in the trash every single week. With rising concerns about global warming and other aspects of how we treat our world, many say it is time for a change. This is where electronic magazines come into play.

Being able to get your favorite content on the Internet is a money saver, a time saver and an environment saver to say the least. If you are someone who has spent years reading magazines and is a little hesitant about the whole prospect of having to read your favorite magazines online, you should simply give it a try. You might be surprised at your experience. The Internet allows the ability for magazines to really get interactive and to offer up a whole new myriad of features for their readers such as online polls and up to date interviews.

Many magazines don't even charge a fee for the content they provide on the Internet, and instead make their money through advertising that you see throughout their websites. This means more savings for their loyal readers which keep them coming back, and in turn this makes the advertisers happy while keeping unwanted paper out of the trash. All in all, this is certainly a win-win situation for the industry. And long gone are the days of having to worry about a missed magazine because it got lost in the mail or the mailman found it interesting enough to forget to deliver it to you. This is yet another aspect of why online magazines are the better option overall.

If you want to try your hand at helping the environment while still getting your fix of your favorite magazines, consider using their online services for just a month instead of renewing your subscriptions right away. You might find that it's easier to get the content you want, it's cheaper and it is more convenient for you as well. With all of the benefits of online magazines, there is no reason to miss out on them. If your favorite magazine isn't found on the Internet yet, consider asking them to do so. It may mean the difference between saving a rain forest and ruining one.

The fact that one company's disregard for following prudent procedures could devastate an entire, widespread economy and habitat is bad enough. That BP would risk the whole Gulf Coast, including people, fish, fowl and the very earth itself is unthinkable, but it's been done. What's next?

Deep-water oil drilling has been a hot potato since its very beginnings, with environmentalists on one side and industrialists on the other. Short of a nuclear energy plant melt down, what type of industrial accident could have such wide-reaching negative effects? In our quest for cheaper and more readily available energy sources we're managing to kill our planet (and ourselves) in the bargain.

The problem lies within. We know that driving a gas-guzzling vehicle is bad for the environment, but this doesn't stop many from buying and using SUVs and other four-wheel drives, even in areas where there is no challenging terrain. Yes, we love our petrol-eating transportation but wince every time the prices rise at the pumps. The BP oil spill is a write-off to our thirst for cheap energy and, for them, an unnecessary hit for doing business as usual. It was unnecessary because it was preventable.

The BP oil spill didn't have to happen, and that's the rub. BP executives knew there were problems with the casings and the relief pressure system, but chose to ignore the advice of their senior engineers and undergo repair work. It would cost too much money. What the engineers were suggesting wasn't cost effective, although it would significantly lower the risks involved with running the Deepwater Horizon rig. It was a gamble, to be sure. British Petroleum lost the bet.

Gambling on your own, as in stepping up to the table in Vegas and placing a bet, is one thing. Gambling with the livilhoods and habitat of tens or hundreds of millions is a different thing altogether. BP executives who are known to have been in possession of information that the well was in trouble and a BP oil spill of mass proportions was in the offing are culpable. They could have spent the money and fixed the problem before it became the biggest environmental disaster of all time. They chose to take a chance. It wasn't a good choice.

So what's next? BP has lots of deep-water oil platforms plugged into the seabed. The Deepwater Horizon incident is but one example of what's possible, if not probable, in the near future. The most recent BP oil spill may be the harbinger of what's to come for our oceans. Big Blue can't take too many more of these poisonings. The fish and birds aren't doing too well either. These are irreplaceable resources that some gigantic corporation is gambling in exchange for money. That just doesn't seem right.