Located in Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle, Pappardelle's Pasta offers some of the most amazing flavored pastas you can find. With such a huge variety of flavors, it becomes extremely easy to use these pastas to make delicious pasta dishes that are meat free, without running into the plain and boring spaghetti marinara or fettuccine alfredo. And for those of you, like me, who must cook for both the vegetarian and the meat-eaters in the same meal, it is as simple as throwing some chicken into the mix once you've already served up the meat-free portion of the dish. Recently I have been experimenting with different pasta flavors from Pappardelle's, along with creating my own sauces to go with it. I must say, I have continued to surprise myself with my little creations... so far they have all been AMAZING! I've come up with three creations so far. Listed below are the pasta flavors I purchased from Pappardelle's, along with the type of sauce I made to go along with them.
Green Jalepeño Fettuccine with Cilantro-Lime Alfredo Sauce
Mild Spice Red Pepper Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper / Four Peppercorn Alfredo Sauce
Four Peppercorn Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce
If you want to try some of these amazing pasta flavors and your own pasta dishes... go to the Pappardelle's website, and create something delicious!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Veggie Love
For those of you who are interested in the vegetarian cuisine... SuperTarget now carries TONS of vegetarian freezer food options. MorningStar Farms has come out with quite a few new products, all of which can be found at Target, and there is even a new brand that I just tried (Gardein), and all of it is AMAZING!
First, Morningstar came out with 4 entrees. Up until now, all of the products were items such as veggie burger patties, veggie sausage patties, etc. These new entrees are little microwavable meals (just like a Lean Cuisine or SmartOnes). And they are not just meals like fettucini alfredo with no meat. They are meals with veggie "meat"! Finally... And they are so delicious. So far, the 4 entrees available are:
First, Morningstar came out with 4 entrees. Up until now, all of the products were items such as veggie burger patties, veggie sausage patties, etc. These new entrees are little microwavable meals (just like a Lean Cuisine or SmartOnes). And they are not just meals like fettucini alfredo with no meat. They are meals with veggie "meat"! Finally... And they are so delicious. So far, the 4 entrees available are:
- Lasagna with "sausage" crumbles
- Sesame Chik'n with Asian style noodles
- Sweet and Sour Chik'n with whole grain rice
- Chik'n Enchilada with black beans and rice
Beyond their new entrees, there are also a ton of new Morningstar products that can be found at SuperTargets (and I'm sure other grocery stores as well, but I only shop at Target... so I can't say for sure).
Here is a list of the new items that I have recently tried and can vouch for:
- Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties (these are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS)
- Hot and Spicy Veggie Sausage Patties
- Grillers 1/4 Pounder Veggie Burger Patties
- Chipotle Black Bean Veggie Burger Patties
- Veggie Italian Sausage
And finally, Target carries a new brand that I had not tried before called Gardein (Garden + Protein). The Gardein products I have tried have both been from their frozen food selections, but are cooked in a skillet rather than in the microwave. It's still a quick fix. So far I have only tried two of the frozen meals (the first two listed) and they were delicious. I also went ahead and listed several more Gardein frozen products as well, because they all sound so amazing! The bags also come with recipe ideas on the back.
- Mandarin Orange Crispy Chik'n
- Chik'n Scallopini
- Chipotle Lime Crispy Chik'n Fingers
- Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings
- Marinara Chik'n Good Stuff
I pulled up the Gardein Website to see what other options were available. They offer 7 "fresh" veggie options, including Barbecue Pulled Shreds and Grilled Chik'n Strips. They also offer 3 different "3 minute complete meals" that all include a variation of chik'n, rice, and vegetables (as of now, the complete meal options are only availablet at Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods... so not available to those of us who reside in Oklahoma).
The website also tells you where you can purchase each of these items. You just select your state from the dropdown menus, and it will give you store locations for each product. I don't know how updated the site is though, b/c it shows that all products can only be purchased at Akins Natural Food Stores in Oklahoma, but I purchased them from Target. The site also provides you with recipes created by Chef Tal (some look pretty amazing).
Even if you do eat meat, you should really give these vegetarian options a try. Fake meat tastes just as good if not better than that weird, processed meat that you find in fast food restaurants and frozen meals at the grocery store. Plus, it's good for you, and the environment. And if vegetarian foods aren't selling (as can be an issue in the state of Oklahoma), grocery stores will cut their losses and discontinue the items. KEEP THE VEGGIE FOODS ON THE SHELF... so that I can put the veggie foods into my tummy!
Thanks!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Eating Small
So far I have posted blogs, both new and old, to introduce myself, and to discuss my take on and my goal of "living small". One thing I have not mentioned yet, that again deals with both who I am and the "small is beautiful" ideals, is that I am a vegetarian. I am not a vegan, although I would eventually like to take that step. It is difficult enough trying to find enough vegetarian food while living in Oklahoma... it would be almost impossible to live as a vegan here.
I never thought I would become a vegetarian, although it did make perfect sense considering what a huge animal lover I am. But I always thought it would be way too difficult to give up the foods that I loved. Before becoming a vegetarian, some my favorite foods included Philly cheesesteaks (they held the number one spot), chicken strips, calamari, and cheeseburgers. Just prior to making the decision to become a vegetarian, I was in a zoology class in which we had to dissect a pig fetus, and numerous other things. I was definitely grossed out and disturbed by it, but even then I wasn't entirely ready to give up eating meat. I even made a comment to my lab partner that I would love to be a vegetarian, but I could never stop eating meat.
Shortly after making the above comment, my boyfriend (who is now my husband) and I tried out a sandwich place on campus called Fat Sandwich Co. They make all kinds of crazy, ridiculously fatty, not to mention disgusting, sandwiches, but they also make authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Now, for those of you who have never had a cheesesteak from the actual city of Philadelphia, you may assume that all cheesesteaks are the same... but this is so, SO wrong. I grew up in Philadelphia, and was devastated when my family and I moved to Texas and I had to learn the hard way that no one outside of Philadelphia has the ability to make a cheesesteak. But anyway... the owner of Fat Sandwich Co. not only know how to make a real Philly Cheesesteak, but orders in all of his ingredients from Philadelphia. With the first bite of a cheesesteak from Fat Sandwich Co., I was in love. I had finally found the real thing outside of Philadelphia, and in Oklahoma of all places!
Isn't it ironic that the day after I finally found a real, delicious cheesesteak in Oklahoma, I also finally decide to give up eating meat? What could have possibly possessed me to make this decision? The decision to give up, not only my number one favorite food in the world, but every other food at the top of my list as well? I watched some videos.
I don't even remember what prompted me to start watching all of these videos. What I remember is witnessing the horribly gruesome deaths experienced by animals in slaughter houses. I remember the terrible conditions in which the animals both lived, and died. Long before I had decided to give up meat, I had already chosen not to eat at KFC for it's brutal slaughter of chickens. The beaks of chickens are filled with sensitive nerve endings, and yet their beaks are torn from their faces while they are still alive. Their feathers are then plucked from their bodies, and they are thrown into boiling water and oil. And that is when they are finally relieved of their excruciating pain... in death. But after watching several of these videos, and then doing a lot of research on the subject, I found that almost every piece of meat we eat has gone through the same ordeal as the chickens at KFC. It is impossible to determine whether the animal you are about to ingest was slaughtered humanly, or brutally. I witnessed people cutting off the legs of a cow while it was still alive, crying out in pain. How could I support something like that?
Before totally giving up meat, I first looked into "free-range" and "organic" products. What I found is that the term "free range" is not regulated by any government agency, so the term could be applied to essentially anything, regardless of whether the animal was actually a "free range" animal or not. The term "organic" is regulated by the government, and does require that the animals receive a certain amount of room to move and grow, and a somewhat more humane approach to the slaughter of the animal. However, I also found that government inspections are rare, and it is only when a company is caught that the consumer becomes aware of any false claims of "organic" product. You would think companies in the meat industry would want to brag about their ethical and humane treatment and slaughter of animals if, in fact, they were doing so. But none do. So how is the consumer ever supposed to determine which supplier to go with? It's impossible. Unless you live on a farm and raise your own animals for slaughter and consumption. So I just chose the best possible scenario for me, which was to become a vegetarian. And I haven't had even the tiniest piece of meat since making that decision.
It was a step towards living small. Becoming a vegetarian also supports the environmental movement in several ways. Apart from that, along with becoming a vegetarian, I also discontinued my use of any products that are tested on animals, and attempt to purchase only products with no animal by-products in them. While I do not always agree with Peta's methods and ideology, they have great resources that include vegetarian starter kits, shopping guides, etc., so if you are considering taking the cruelty-free approach (and the living small approach) to life, it is a good idea to visit their website.
Becoming a vegetarian in a state like Oklahoma is sometimes difficult. In other areas of the country you can find a veggie burger, or similar item, on the menu almost everywhere you go (I'm talking hot dog stands, museum snack areas, etc.). But in Oklahoma, you're lucky to find anything specifically made for vegetarians. If anything, I usually have to order the Chicken Fettucini with no chicken (but I still pay for the chicken)! So whenever I find new restaurants, try new recipes, or discover new vegetarian foods at the grocery store, I will post them to my blog. That way, if anyone else is having a difficult time creating variety in their vegetarian diet, they can benefit from what I have been able to find.
Until next time... Live Small and Eat Small, my friends!
I never thought I would become a vegetarian, although it did make perfect sense considering what a huge animal lover I am. But I always thought it would be way too difficult to give up the foods that I loved. Before becoming a vegetarian, some my favorite foods included Philly cheesesteaks (they held the number one spot), chicken strips, calamari, and cheeseburgers. Just prior to making the decision to become a vegetarian, I was in a zoology class in which we had to dissect a pig fetus, and numerous other things. I was definitely grossed out and disturbed by it, but even then I wasn't entirely ready to give up eating meat. I even made a comment to my lab partner that I would love to be a vegetarian, but I could never stop eating meat.
Shortly after making the above comment, my boyfriend (who is now my husband) and I tried out a sandwich place on campus called Fat Sandwich Co. They make all kinds of crazy, ridiculously fatty, not to mention disgusting, sandwiches, but they also make authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Now, for those of you who have never had a cheesesteak from the actual city of Philadelphia, you may assume that all cheesesteaks are the same... but this is so, SO wrong. I grew up in Philadelphia, and was devastated when my family and I moved to Texas and I had to learn the hard way that no one outside of Philadelphia has the ability to make a cheesesteak. But anyway... the owner of Fat Sandwich Co. not only know how to make a real Philly Cheesesteak, but orders in all of his ingredients from Philadelphia. With the first bite of a cheesesteak from Fat Sandwich Co., I was in love. I had finally found the real thing outside of Philadelphia, and in Oklahoma of all places!
Isn't it ironic that the day after I finally found a real, delicious cheesesteak in Oklahoma, I also finally decide to give up eating meat? What could have possibly possessed me to make this decision? The decision to give up, not only my number one favorite food in the world, but every other food at the top of my list as well? I watched some videos.
I don't even remember what prompted me to start watching all of these videos. What I remember is witnessing the horribly gruesome deaths experienced by animals in slaughter houses. I remember the terrible conditions in which the animals both lived, and died. Long before I had decided to give up meat, I had already chosen not to eat at KFC for it's brutal slaughter of chickens. The beaks of chickens are filled with sensitive nerve endings, and yet their beaks are torn from their faces while they are still alive. Their feathers are then plucked from their bodies, and they are thrown into boiling water and oil. And that is when they are finally relieved of their excruciating pain... in death. But after watching several of these videos, and then doing a lot of research on the subject, I found that almost every piece of meat we eat has gone through the same ordeal as the chickens at KFC. It is impossible to determine whether the animal you are about to ingest was slaughtered humanly, or brutally. I witnessed people cutting off the legs of a cow while it was still alive, crying out in pain. How could I support something like that?
Before totally giving up meat, I first looked into "free-range" and "organic" products. What I found is that the term "free range" is not regulated by any government agency, so the term could be applied to essentially anything, regardless of whether the animal was actually a "free range" animal or not. The term "organic" is regulated by the government, and does require that the animals receive a certain amount of room to move and grow, and a somewhat more humane approach to the slaughter of the animal. However, I also found that government inspections are rare, and it is only when a company is caught that the consumer becomes aware of any false claims of "organic" product. You would think companies in the meat industry would want to brag about their ethical and humane treatment and slaughter of animals if, in fact, they were doing so. But none do. So how is the consumer ever supposed to determine which supplier to go with? It's impossible. Unless you live on a farm and raise your own animals for slaughter and consumption. So I just chose the best possible scenario for me, which was to become a vegetarian. And I haven't had even the tiniest piece of meat since making that decision.
It was a step towards living small. Becoming a vegetarian also supports the environmental movement in several ways. Apart from that, along with becoming a vegetarian, I also discontinued my use of any products that are tested on animals, and attempt to purchase only products with no animal by-products in them. While I do not always agree with Peta's methods and ideology, they have great resources that include vegetarian starter kits, shopping guides, etc., so if you are considering taking the cruelty-free approach (and the living small approach) to life, it is a good idea to visit their website.
Becoming a vegetarian in a state like Oklahoma is sometimes difficult. In other areas of the country you can find a veggie burger, or similar item, on the menu almost everywhere you go (I'm talking hot dog stands, museum snack areas, etc.). But in Oklahoma, you're lucky to find anything specifically made for vegetarians. If anything, I usually have to order the Chicken Fettucini with no chicken (but I still pay for the chicken)! So whenever I find new restaurants, try new recipes, or discover new vegetarian foods at the grocery store, I will post them to my blog. That way, if anyone else is having a difficult time creating variety in their vegetarian diet, they can benefit from what I have been able to find.
Until next time... Live Small and Eat Small, my friends!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Our Oklahoma Version of the Modern Craftsman
My husband and I recently built a new house with Ideal Homes here in Oklahoma. While not an entirely custom builder (we picked out our floor plan and elevation from those available), we were able to upgrade and make changes to the house during the selections process. We really loved the floorplan of the house we chose, but weren't big fans of the curb appeal offered by the floor plan. Ideally, we would love to purchase a beautiful old Craftsman that we can renovate and make our own, but we don't plan on staying in Oklahoma more than 5 years, so we didn't want to take on any huge (and costly) renovations. Especially since this is our first house. Plus, we wanted a house that would sell easily, and since we don't really have an "Oklahoma Design Style", we didn't want to personalize the house too much. We decided that we would wait for that. We decided to make some design changes to both the interior and exterior of the house in order to get closer to that Craftsman feel (on the outside), and modern, eco-friendly design (on the inside). We requested several changes that were made during the building process, and we also made our own changes once we moved in. We decided to make several changes on our own because, as I said earlier, Ideal Homes is not a true custom builder. There were several things we wanted to incorporate into our home that Ideal Homes did not offer. We even asked if we could purchase the items we wanted, and have the builder install them as they went, but that was not an option. As of right now, we have not completed all of our changes, but we are getting there.
In this post I will cover the changes that we have already made to the exterior of the house.
The first change we requested was to the columns of the front porch. We really did not like the design of the columns, so we chose to incorporate tapered columns instead, which came out beautifully. Below is a picture of how the columns would have looked (left) and what our columns look like (right):
The pictures are somewhat blurry, but you get the idea.
The original plan called for siding on the side gables of the house, which we did not like either. Instead, we requested the Tutor style batons. Below is a picture of this change as well (even though it is difficult to see the siding from this picture). The picture on the left is of the side gables from the original plan, and the picture on the right is of our house:
We didn't like the fact that we were only able to choose one paint color for the exterior of the house either. We chose to go with two paint colors (a green and a tan), which are classic Craftsman style colors. You can also see the paint colors that we chose in the picture above.
We also changed out the carriage lights on the garage. The selection center with Ideal Homes did not have any that we liked, so we purchased them from Lowes, and installed them ourselves. They look so much better than the lights that came with the house. The picture below on the left is of the original carriage lights, and the picture in the right is of the lights we installed:
Our new lights are also eco-friendly in that they only turn on when it is dark outside. So if we accidently leave the lights on during the day, we aren't burning a ton of electricity. They remain off until the sun goes down! And they look great, too!
We did some landscaping in the front as well... although we are waiting until next Spring to do the majority of the work, as many plants are already past their blooming season. We want to plant quite a few trees, both in the front and the back yards. We chose black mulch for our yard, which looks amazing. It gives the yard a more modern, clean look.
The next two pictures are just for comparison purposes. The house of the left is the same floor plan and elevation as ours, but it was a field home, and changes were not made to the existing plan (so it is what our house would have looked like had we not requested to change things up a bit). The house on the right is ours (prior to the new carriage lights).
We are very pleased with how the changes turned out. I can't wait to continue making this house truly our home! We have already made quite a few changes to the inside of the house as well, but I will wait to cover those in my next post. Most of the changes to the inside incorporated eco-friendly, modern design elements into our Oklahoma home (which is no easy task).
So until next time... keep living small and enjoying it. I am!
In this post I will cover the changes that we have already made to the exterior of the house.
The first change we requested was to the columns of the front porch. We really did not like the design of the columns, so we chose to incorporate tapered columns instead, which came out beautifully. Below is a picture of how the columns would have looked (left) and what our columns look like (right):
The original plan called for siding on the side gables of the house, which we did not like either. Instead, we requested the Tutor style batons. Below is a picture of this change as well (even though it is difficult to see the siding from this picture). The picture on the left is of the side gables from the original plan, and the picture on the right is of our house:
We also changed out the carriage lights on the garage. The selection center with Ideal Homes did not have any that we liked, so we purchased them from Lowes, and installed them ourselves. They look so much better than the lights that came with the house. The picture below on the left is of the original carriage lights, and the picture in the right is of the lights we installed:
We did some landscaping in the front as well... although we are waiting until next Spring to do the majority of the work, as many plants are already past their blooming season. We want to plant quite a few trees, both in the front and the back yards. We chose black mulch for our yard, which looks amazing. It gives the yard a more modern, clean look.
The next two pictures are just for comparison purposes. The house of the left is the same floor plan and elevation as ours, but it was a field home, and changes were not made to the existing plan (so it is what our house would have looked like had we not requested to change things up a bit). The house on the right is ours (prior to the new carriage lights).
We are very pleased with how the changes turned out. I can't wait to continue making this house truly our home! We have already made quite a few changes to the inside of the house as well, but I will wait to cover those in my next post. Most of the changes to the inside incorporated eco-friendly, modern design elements into our Oklahoma home (which is no easy task).
So until next time... keep living small and enjoying it. I am!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Small is Beautiful
Well... it seems like it's about time to start publishing some new posts. What prompted me to begin this blog was the fact that it is extremely difficult to "live small" in the state of Oklahoma. No one here is really that concerned with the environment at all. My husband and I recently built our first house, and were shocked at how much we decided to do on our own, and how difficult it was to find eco-friendly products here. I did a ton of research and ordering online, but it still took a long time to find everything. So I wanted to start a blog all about "living small". Not everything will be completely environmentally focused. I may post some political rants and such. Some will be strictly design focused (mostly modern design, as that is our style, and also very rare in the state of Oklahoma), and while a lot of that design will go hand-in-hand with environmentally friendly products, not all of it will. Many will provide links to helpful websites I have found along the way. Some will also just follow the changes we have made, and will make, to our new house. My next post will cover the changes we have made to our house so far... which will include quite a few environmentally friendly design elements, but will also include items that were strictly aesthetic. I hope you enjoy....
The New Pledge of Allegiance... Really???
Originally Posted on March 8, 2008
I wrote this in response to the "New Pledge of Allegiance", written by a student in Arizona. The "prayer" can be found at the end of this post.
I do apologize to anyone who felt this prayer was meaningful in anyway... but I think it's beyond terrible. It is not against the rules in any school to mention the name of God or pray on your own. You don't need to pray out loud for the Lord to hear you. The point of getting rid of the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer is not to hinder Christians from expressing their beliefs. When the whole class or the whole school is expected to stand up and recite a Christian prayer, children of different religions feel that they are also expected to recite the prayer. They shouldn't have to feel that way. The point is to take away a little of the pressure that children face to fit in. Children shouldn't have to worry that if they don't want to participate in the class prayer that they will be looked down on by both teachers and peers. School is about education. Children are there to learn. Everyone should feel free to express their own beliefs, and THAT is why prayer shouldn't be allowed in school. Not because we want God to be eliminated, but because every child should feel safe and "normal" regardless of their beliefs.
I'm ashamed that parents in this country teach their children to think this way. I'm ashamed that people use religion to promote hate. And no, I am not the antichrist. I have been raised a Christian and I still think school organized prayer should be banned. There is nothing wrong with the "freaks" who "pierce our noses", but rather with those who judge us. And you want to complain about the fact that "we can get our condoms and birth controls, study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles"... seriously?? It is a historical FACT that MOST people DO have sex before marriage. Do away with the condoms and find everyone you care about infected with an STD. Do away with birth control and you find all of your friends becoming the "pregnant senior queen" and "unwed daddy senior king". Get rid of witchcraft, vampires and totem poles, and you get rid of history, literature, and culture. And what the hell is wrong with totem poles anyway?
If you want to advocate ignorance and judgment, then yes, by all means, please pass this on. God will be the one to judge me and everyone else, including you. If people could all stop judging each other... we wouldn't have issues with prayers in school.... everyone would be truly free to believe what they want.
- Kerriann
THE "PRAYER" :
WRITTEN BY A 15 yr. old SCHOOL KID IN ARIZONA :
New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY AWESOME) !
Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer
are not allowed in most public schools anymore
Because the word "God" is mentioned....
A kid in Arizona wrote the attached
NEW School prayer :
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen !!
- Kerriann
THE "PRAYER" :
WRITTEN BY A 15 yr. old SCHOOL KID IN ARIZONA :
New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY AWESOME) !
Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer
are not allowed in most public schools anymore
Because the word "God" is mentioned....
A kid in Arizona wrote the attached
NEW School prayer :
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen !!
My Global Warming Myth Response
Originally Posted on January 30, 2009
This post is in response to the following article written by John Tomlinson It's Time to Pray for Global Warming
I wrote this in response to John Tomlinson’s article in Flint Journal: It’s Time to Pray for Global Warming. After reading Tomlinson’s article, I decided to look into his research. What I found (as I suspected I would) was that his information is not all that accurate. It is easy for people to take fact and tweak it a bit, or leave out a bit, in order to create their own fiction that backs up their opinions and beliefs. So I looked up Tomlinson’s sources, and sure enough, I found that he created his own skewed interpretation of the facts. Tomlinson's article can be found at the end of my little rant here, so if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can read it there.
Tomlinson points out that “650 of the world 's top climatologists” claimed that “global warming is a media generated myth”. First of all, over 11,000 participants attended the conference. That means less than 6% of the participants claimed that global warming is a myth. Second, the list of “650 of the world’s top climatologists” was compiled by Oklahoma’s very own jackass, James Inhofe, and it was later discovered that there were actually only 413 people on that list. And of those 413 “top climatologists”, 44 are actually TV weathermen, 20 are economists, and 70 are not even experts in climate science. In fact, several people on this list of supposed global warming skeptics have claimed that their opinions were misrepresented by Inhofe.
Tomlinson also writes “The earth's temperature peaked in 1998. It's been falling ever since; it dropped dramatically in 2007 and got worse in 2008, when temperatures touched 1980 levels”.
But, According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 2007 State of the Climate Report and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 2007 Surface Temperature Analysis: The eight warmest years on record (since 1850) have all occurred since 1998.
Tomlinson also cites research from the University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center stating that: “Meanwhile, the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center released conclusive satellite photos showing that Arctic ice is back to 1979 levels. What' s more, measurements of Antarctic ice now show that its accumulation is up 5 percent since 1980”.
But the National Snow and Ice Data Center reports that the year 2008 “continued the negative trend in summer sea ice extent, with the second-lowest summer minimum since record-keeping began in 1979”. They also report that because 2007 held a “record-breaking melt season”, so much ice melted that a “vast expanse of ocean was exposed to low winter air temperatures, encouraging ice growth.” Therefore, it is true that “2008 saw slightly greater ice extent”, but the ice was also much thinner, and therefore melted quicker, so the “rate of ice loss was much faster than average”.
I also decided to visit the source of Tomlinson's claim, the University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center website, to determine if Tomlinson’s statements regarding their findings were accurate. The Arctic Climate Research Center has actually posted a statement regarding certain articles that have come out in which the authors have cited their research. This statement claims that “Arctic ice volume is now below its long-term average by an even greater amount than is ice extent or area”. The site also includes “conclusive satellite photos” that show that, while a larger area may have a covering of ice, it is mostly new ice (thin ice). These satellite photos also show that the amount of multi-layer layer ice (“sea ice that is older and generally thicker”) is still decreasing, and has been decreasing drastically since 1979.
Tomlinson also quotes Dr. Kunihiko in his article. Dr. Kunihiko has also been known to encourage others not to concern themselves with their health (because, according to Kunihiko, doing so is a waste of time), and stated that life has no purpose or goal. Wow, Dr. Kunihiko, you sure are an inspiration to us all!
Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, so if you believe that global warming is a myth, that is your right. I just think that if you are going to write an article to support your beliefs, you should actually provide valid research rather than twist the truth to get your point across.
This post is in response to the following article written by John Tomlinson It's Time to Pray for Global Warming
I wrote this in response to John Tomlinson’s article in Flint Journal: It’s Time to Pray for Global Warming. After reading Tomlinson’s article, I decided to look into his research. What I found (as I suspected I would) was that his information is not all that accurate. It is easy for people to take fact and tweak it a bit, or leave out a bit, in order to create their own fiction that backs up their opinions and beliefs. So I looked up Tomlinson’s sources, and sure enough, I found that he created his own skewed interpretation of the facts. Tomlinson's article can be found at the end of my little rant here, so if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can read it there.
Tomlinson points out that “650 of the world 's top climatologists” claimed that “global warming is a media generated myth”. First of all, over 11,000 participants attended the conference. That means less than 6% of the participants claimed that global warming is a myth. Second, the list of “650 of the world’s top climatologists” was compiled by Oklahoma’s very own jackass, James Inhofe, and it was later discovered that there were actually only 413 people on that list. And of those 413 “top climatologists”, 44 are actually TV weathermen, 20 are economists, and 70 are not even experts in climate science. In fact, several people on this list of supposed global warming skeptics have claimed that their opinions were misrepresented by Inhofe.
Tomlinson also writes “The earth's temperature peaked in 1998. It's been falling ever since; it dropped dramatically in 2007 and got worse in 2008, when temperatures touched 1980 levels”.
But, According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 2007 State of the Climate Report and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 2007 Surface Temperature Analysis: The eight warmest years on record (since 1850) have all occurred since 1998.
Tomlinson also cites research from the University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center stating that: “Meanwhile, the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center released conclusive satellite photos showing that Arctic ice is back to 1979 levels. What' s more, measurements of Antarctic ice now show that its accumulation is up 5 percent since 1980”.
But the National Snow and Ice Data Center reports that the year 2008 “continued the negative trend in summer sea ice extent, with the second-lowest summer minimum since record-keeping began in 1979”. They also report that because 2007 held a “record-breaking melt season”, so much ice melted that a “vast expanse of ocean was exposed to low winter air temperatures, encouraging ice growth.” Therefore, it is true that “2008 saw slightly greater ice extent”, but the ice was also much thinner, and therefore melted quicker, so the “rate of ice loss was much faster than average”.
I also decided to visit the source of Tomlinson's claim, the University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center website, to determine if Tomlinson’s statements regarding their findings were accurate. The Arctic Climate Research Center has actually posted a statement regarding certain articles that have come out in which the authors have cited their research. This statement claims that “Arctic ice volume is now below its long-term average by an even greater amount than is ice extent or area”. The site also includes “conclusive satellite photos” that show that, while a larger area may have a covering of ice, it is mostly new ice (thin ice). These satellite photos also show that the amount of multi-layer layer ice (“sea ice that is older and generally thicker”) is still decreasing, and has been decreasing drastically since 1979.
Tomlinson also quotes Dr. Kunihiko in his article. Dr. Kunihiko has also been known to encourage others not to concern themselves with their health (because, according to Kunihiko, doing so is a waste of time), and stated that life has no purpose or goal. Wow, Dr. Kunihiko, you sure are an inspiration to us all!
Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, so if you believe that global warming is a myth, that is your right. I just think that if you are going to write an article to support your beliefs, you should actually provide valid research rather than twist the truth to get your point across.
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