- GEOLOGIC TIMESCALE AWARENESS COUNCIL -

A few thoughts on TREES...Think about the individual driving the land clearing device with the job description of clearing the land for real estate development. It is THIS individual who determines what trees and natural features remain. The person who cleared the land in this webauthor's subdivision was a native Californian unfamiliar with Dogwoods (Virginia state tree) and identifying types of trees was apparently not in his job description. Hundreds of Dogwoods and Holly trees along with other forest fauna/flora were destroyed in GTAC's home subdivision alone. The day after the trees were felled, the very sound of forest fauna changed dramatically...strange, unhappy sounds.

The land beneath the actual roads and structures is the ONLY land that needs to be cleared.

IF incorporated into Global Law
the atmosphere of Earth will improve.

Julia Butterfly Hill

Union of Concerned Scientists
A Walk Through Time
The Official WebSite of the Climate Change Secretariat
NASA's Global Change Master Directory
Dino Russ's Lair
A few brief notes on DioXin - out of Stanford U.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA's Office of Water Standards
NOAA
National Geophysical Data Center - Paleoclimatology, Glaciology Ice Core Data, etc.
Visit Beta Analytic - World's Largest Radiocarbon Dating Service.
USGS Global Change Resource Program
Texas Tech's Anthropology Resources Online
Science and Academic Resources from Texas Tech - Don't miss EurekAlert - Enter your favorite subject on the Search Page!
Compilation of Earth History Sites.
Econet News, etc.
GAIA Alert
M51 Astronomy Page - Another Science which requires comprehension of great spans of time.
Dinosaur Art
Dinosaurs in Cyberspace - From University of California - Berkeley.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology - Alberta.
Web EARTHQUAKE Sites.
A near-real-time Earthquake Bulletin provided by the National Earthquake Information Service (NEIS) of the U. S. Geological Survey as part of a cooperative project of the Council of the National Seismic System.
Volcano World
Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards - N.E.O. info from NASA Ames Space Science division.
Terrestrial Impact Crater List - amazing...
Meteorite Info.
"Deep Impact" Near Earth Orbit WebSite.
The Planetary Society's NEO Pages
Earth's Oldest Living Inhabitants
EnviroLink
The Human Genome Project - Progress toward sequencing goal: 27%
6 billion Human Beings - An exhibit from the Mus�e de l'Homme - Mus�um National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris - France - A really entertaining illustration of Earth population statistics!
World Population Statistics
Java version: World Population POPClocks
Princeton University's Office of Population Research
Earth First!
This is the group who has secured a place in the history books as the most militant hand of good stewardship of Earth.

� 1997-2008 / 5768 - m51.com digital media

	The purpose of the Council: To create an awareness of both Geologic and Astronomic Time in young minds. Along with the imagination, this awareness is essential in having a healthy and realistic perspective of this great expanse of time. Living in awareness of the Geologic / Astronomic Timescales will help inhabitants of Earth appreciate a brief 6 - 10 decade long lifespan. The paragraphs that follow attempt to bring to light our society's challenges relative to the astronomic / geologic time-scale. We have been evolving only about 4 million years... How can one NOT wonder what life will be like in the year 1,226,788? After another 1.25 million yrs...how do you think we'll look?....and behave? Primary concerns: How Earth deals with it's waste products Overpopulation Lack of people of science in our political structure (lack of empirical rationale) How easily humans are influenced by media View a concise timeline
		Know the importance of lawmakers and their understanding (or lack of understanding) of the Sciences in the stewardship of Earth. The fact there are NO people of Science in office will be reflected in our future society. Read a quick review of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth".
	Examples of the clash between science and politics: Ever catch a fish with lesions? Read about Nitrates and their effect on humans and our environment. Imagine the chemistry/condition of Earth's oceans in just another century. ======== Society's most frequent contact with "people of science" involves medical doctors. MDs / Attorneys are individuals who have the academic discipline to graduate from medical / law school and pass the necessary examinations. Does this mean that they will be good at their jobs? A few thoughts on Prescription Drugs: My concerns are TV Ad campaigns for medications. I am especially alarmed by those used in the psychiatric branch of medicine, and the fact they are given to such young people. In California, in addition to MDs, psychologists also have the authority to prescribe these chemicals. Drugs like Zoloft and Prozac for "depression", and terminology such as "chemical imbalance" are particularly annoying. Psychiatry is the least understood branch of medicine. We have barely begun to map the physiology of the brain. We have centuries more of research to become effective in the treatment of what we call "mental illness". This branch of study has also been refered to as "behavioral" medicene. The test fields for all medications is much too small and short lived to allow most of these chemicals into the "market". Medical research is a slowly evolving process. I find substances approved by the FDA to be "quick fixes" fueled by greed. A couple years of testing a drug on a few thousand humans is profoundly inadequate and dangerous. MDs will largely prescribe whatever is marketed to them. Most humans will follow an MD's advice. Patents for drugs expire. Attorneys extend the patent to keep other companies from manufacturing the less expensive generic drugs. This is a practice in the pharmaceutical industry. Just a few links to info. on Meds: WorstPills.org Dialogue on "New Meds" Developments in California CBS article on TV Drug Ads Ask your MD if she/he has taken what they prescribed for you (just to see what it feels like)....prepare yourself for an entertaining / amusing answer such as: "Well, I'm not depressed", "I'm not in pain", or "I don't have erectile dysfunction". Does the prescribed drug require an accepted "blood level" of the chemical to become evident in lab values for the drug to "work"? Your doctor may neglect to ask what other medications have been prescribed for you for whatever reasons by other MDs. These chemicals can adversely interact with each other.	An illustration of the influence marketing has on our society is the subject of the film "The Corporation". A few words on energy choices for your home: Natural gas is the thing here in Colorado. From time to time in this region, the news media reports "explosions" in homes and businesses. A highly explosive gas is NOT a good choice for energy. People will buy whatever is marketed or presented to them. Most people are removed from basic laws of science.
		The Council is concerned about frequency of deformity and carcinoma (cancer) in H. Sapiens. Could it be that we are wallowing in our own waste? The answer is YES. Other members of Kingdom Animalia are telling the story. FROGS are "pollution barometers" for your backyards, and for all heavily populated areas. Deformities are evidence of chemicals and pollutants saturating the soil, subterranean water, and wetlands. Read more about deformed frogs. Read about natrazine and it's effect on frogs. Just for fun...Send an e.mail to President Bush demanding attention to DEFORMITIES in FROGS. How on Earth was an elegantly spoken individual such as Al Gore beaten in an election by such an inarticulate individual? Listen to how Bush speaks and pronounces his words. Notice the perpetual smirk on his face...even in the most dramatic of situations.
	Please note - The following material may be offensive to many - Just a few words on exercising control over your own biology: Shaping Genes - Ethics, Law and Science of Using New Genetic Technology in Medicene and Agriculture - By Darryl R. J. Macer, Ph.D. - Read Dr. Macer's chapter on Selective Human Breeding. Also visit The Human Genome Project and The Institute for Genomic Research. Reproductive technology is the medical solution to most all common conditions. The depth of research in genetics in the next several centuries may very well be our path to a much longer life. As lifespans continue to grow, it's interesting to think about middle age as being 120 years old. This is an exercise in using your imagination. What will life be like in the year 3500? Is there something wrong with a life free of renal failure, coronary, vascular, diabetic related illnesses, criminal personality traits? In this stage in the evolution of our society, the mention of "cloning" is alarming to many. Humans are so suspicious of the evil in human nature. They don't seem to think about genius as a positive force. It is a noble and humanitarian pursuit. Read Ellen Goodman's article on what can happen with "Genius" sperm banks. Stem Cell Information Links Stem Cell Research News Stem Cell Research Foundation International Society for Stem Cell Research Relative to pregnancy: Sadly, in many cases, pregnancy can be refered to as a "recreational hazard". When it occurs, and one partner says "YES", and the other says "NO" to having a baby, it is imperitive this be interpreted as a negative. Most humans do NOT have the mental capacity for correct child rearing. Sadly, this is also true of many pet owners! The priveledge of having a baby (our young are truly Earth's MOST precious resource) is terribly misunderstood and abused on Earth. Humans make a grave mistake when choosing a partner that is in disagreement. Having sex is not the sacred institution the legal community thinks it is. Choice of sexual partners is random, frivolous, chaotic, and lacks this most important insight. The presence of the criminal element in society needs attention.
		Popularity polls the people of Earth like to call "elections" produce no men/women of Science in our political structure. Having the academic discipline to get through law or medical school does not mean an individual will be good at their job.
	Concerning the passage of time: Comprehension of the life cycle of sun-like stars is necessary. We are living in the Cenozoic Era. Earth is roughly 4.6 billion Yrs. old. The Timescale in Astronomy goes back roughly 15 billion years to the "Big Bang". Know your place in The Local Group of galaxies.
		Homo Sapiens and predecessors have been present for only about 4 million years. It will probably take another million for the situation to correct itself. Visit the Union of Concerned Scientists website.