We’re Back!

It has been a very long hiatus for EnviroHumanImpact.com, and we have undergone many changes in the intermediary.  We regret not having adequate time these last few months to continue with news, tips, and advice our readers can put to good use as they attempt to improve their individual envirohuman impact and to put upward pressure on our political leaders to make changes for the better.

One important change is our new blog theme, which mimics that of TechCrunch, hopefully offering a more clean cut look to the blog and we hope makes more of our recent posts readily available for browsing and reading.  I should note that we don’t want the blog to be identical to their site, but simply find the aesthetics and usability of their site to be favorable for ours, and there really is no comparing the two sites beyond the similar layout.

A New Name: EnviroHumanImpact to Earthascope

Our readers may also notice our new name, Earthascope.com.  The editors of EnviroHumanImpact.com made a conscious decision in this matter to make the name easier to say, remember, and share with others.

We still believe strongly in the concept of an, “envirohuman impact,” in our ongoing dialogue regarding the environment.

For ease of use, the site will now be referred to as Earthascope, but the concept that our actions impact the environment and that the environment in turn impacts each of us will continue to be a thread on this site; indeed it is central to most of our conversations. Continuing to use or share EnviroHumanImpact.com will redirect readers to Earthascope.com for a quite while, so for now, feel free to use it to enter the site.

Why The Long Break?

Beyond all of that, I would like to extend my own words of thanks and apologies to readers, commentators on our posts, and those who have waited more than patiently for reviews of products that have been put off for far too long.

Blogging is still very much a part-time venture for myself and fellow writer, Matthew Phillip.  We take it seriously but over the last few months, I have had some personal challenges that left me especially with very little time to continue blogging.  I did not wish to produce a haphazard product and blogging sporadically also was unappealing.

Again, thanks to anyone who was patient — I know we lost some of our returning readers but we are glad to be back and hope to bring you back to the conversation as well.

Importance of Our Conversations

Blogging is important to these conversations, to breaking down news and others’ commentary and piecing it back together, as well as to offer personal tips and advice on greener living.  As we all share or at least witness a somewhat more common experience of an extreme economic downturn, many may lose focus on greening their personal lives and government may be tempted to not include enough green infrastructure projects in the economic stimulus.

This is where both writer and reader alike can influence the conversation toward the idea that times like these are the times for substantial changes for the better.   Greener lifestyle and greener infrastructure usually mean more efficient, money-saving techniques for those who pursue them, even with often bigger costs upfront.  Some rumblings for change online can echo loudly enough to be heard in Washington, so if you care to, grumble right here!

A Special Editor’s Note

On a separate but related topic, a special editor’s note regarding a revered blogger, Michael Arrington, of TechCrunch.com.  Mr. Arrington is perhaps the most successful blogger ever, with a huge readership and garnering invitations to such events as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where about 2,500 heads of state, academics, CEOs, and members of the media meet to discuss worldwide economic conditions (in a nutshell).  That’s quite an elite group in which to be included, and he gets invited to such events for his unique insights!

As Mr. Arrington left a conference in Germany before leaving the country for the forum in Davos, a person approached and spat in his face.  And as he reveals in this troubling post, Mr. Arrington and his family were threatened last year by another angered person.  In both cases, it seems someone was upset for either not gaining coverage by the venerable TechCrunch or for gaining negative coverage (it is not clear to me which is the case).

From the article:

Something very few people know: last year over the summer an off balance individual threatened to kill me and my family. He wasn’t very stealthy about it – he called our office number, sent me emails and even posted threats on his blog, so it wasn’t hard to determine who he was. The threats were, in the opinion of security experts we consulted, serious. The individual has a felony record and owns a gun. Police in three states became involved and we hired a personal security team to protect me, my family and TechCrunch employees.

I know Mr. Arrington takes his job as a blogger extremely seriously.   I would not even draw a comparison to how busy his life is with blogging to my life, and certainly not to my life as a blogger.  This is a man who cannot walk about as others do, knowing that eventually someone will approach him (especially at the tech conferences he frequents) with a project, company, or product pitch.  He understands blogging and tech far better than most anyone else, especially as it relates to other facets of society, like business, philanthropy, and politics.   Yes, he reaps great rewards for the work he has done, the serious approach he has taken to the responsibilities he signed up for with his blog, but he of course does not deserve the threats he has received.

I encourage anyone reading to go ahead and read Mr. Arrington’s explanation of events.   It is so sad for me to see such a figure seemingly forced to sit out for a while because he has felt threatened while pursuing his work.  He cannot possibly review everyone and everything that comes his way and he would be dishonest if he gave every company or product a high rating.  He has sharp wit and opinions, and it has served him and his subject matter, not to mention the industry, very well.  We’ll miss him for this month at least, and who knows if he’ll be back.  Sure, TechCrunch continues on, and has a great writing team in place.  It’s never a boring place to read about tech and it’s a rare day that I go there and am not entertained, don’t find something useful, or both.  As far as blogs go, it is literally one of the most successful in the world.

Speak Up!

All of us here have a keyboard and a mouse — a portal to the internet with which we can act responsibly, irresponbily, or not at all.  That’s a lot of power in and of itself and how you use it is up to you. Few of us ever have the type of website with as loud a voice as that of TechCrunch or the stature that brings the ability to have a large impact on any given situation.  But we all can have a voice, and our responsibility to speak up is one of the main reasons for discussing this matter.

“Words Influence Others Who May Be Inclined”

Mr. Arrington further states it well regarding speaking up when someone discusses violence:

I want them to realize that their words influence others who may be inclined (emphasis mine) to “take matters into their own hands” under the mistaken impression that threatening to kill someone, or physically attacking them, is somehow righteous. And I hope that my peers who tend to sit on the sideline while others attack will start to take a stand against it.

I hope Mr. Arrington returns to TechCrunch, as he would be missed if he left — but he’s taking time to decide what it is he really wants to do.  I wish him well in that quest.

Refocusing on the Environment

But focusing back on the environment, we all can speak up on this front as well.  We can sit idly and say nothing.  We can educate ourselves and use our knowledge to digest, break down, and put back together the news of the day into an understandable framework, from which we can hopefully put forth proposals, ideas, and of course, political pressure to make postive change.   The quote above shows how, while statements are made online, real action can happen because of it, for better or worse.  And let’s choose better!

We all have a responsibility to use our voices here to influence society in a general direction of positive change.  As Mr. Arrington states, “words influence others who may be inclined,” and while he was speaking in a negative sense, those who are inclined to do good can likewise be influenced by positive words and ideas.  That’s why I write, that’s why I ask you to get involved in the conversation, and it’s why I am glad to be back!

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