It doesn't make sense, it's just how we are

Last year, Americans took more than 10 billion rides on public transportation, the highest level in more than 50 years. But despite the increases, public transit systems are being forced to cut back service, risking losing many of the riders they gained due to high gas prices and a bad economy. In New York, for example, the Metropolitan Transit Authority is moving forward with plans to drastically raise fares and totally eliminate some subway and bus lines. Our latest Transparency is a look at the 15 most popular public transit systems in America that have made or are planning to make cuts. You can see the full list of all cuts and potential cuts at Transportation for America.

(h/t Good magazine)

If you have ever gone to Portland or Eugene for a movie or show

Then make sure you turn out to support the amazing Salem Film Festival. Here. In Salem.

(image from "Blue Gold: World Water Wars," which is having its Oregon premiere at the Salem Film Festival 2009)

Land-sharing: A very LOVEing idea

Story about land-sharing -- people with front and back yards that they want gardened and the people who want to garden but don't have the yards. A great idea for living our values, environmentally speaking, and for responding to the shortage of community garden plots:

With too many gardeners filling up the waiting list for community gardens, it's taking as long as 5 years to finally get a plot of dirt to grow veggies. So gardeners and city officials started a registry to connect homeowners willing to have their yards turned into gardens with the people who are willing to do the gardening. An excellent land-sharing solution, and in sync with the urban homesteading movement.

A most important graphic

Click to enlarge. Note that, of the roughly 98 quads of energy we start with, we only use about 43, with 55 going to entropic and distribution losses. Also note the tiny, almost microscopic scale of renewables next to polluting/depleting sources like coal (which also form nearly all the energy loss, since entropic losses are caused by high-temp energy transformations).