Whats in a Name?

I have borrowed the name Theophilus from the Luke, the physician: better known as the author of the third of the synoptic gospels in the New Testament. Luke also wrote another book of the New Testament called Acts of the Apostles. He addresses both of these historical accounts to Theophilus: You may not know, but the name is derived from two Greek words, Theos - God, and Phileo - friend of= friend of God, or lover of God.

So, why did I choose this as a name for a blog? I was hoping that there would be people who were still searching for answers. It seems that like Diogenes in ancient Greece, I find it difficult to connect with those honest souls who care about the things of God. Maybe it is simply a matter of knowing how to work the system. I will keep trying. As I hear of things that could use a Godly focus, I will write. Keep faith with him and continue to search for truth; I will.

Conservative: There are several meanings, first to conserve is to protect and to preserve. Some seem to have redefined this word to mean- restrictive, limiting. Well if what is given for service is not limited in some ways, the resource will be exhausted.

Liberal: also has several meanings: one of the most important is freely given. Abundant, without limits (in a good sense). Too much rain may be liberal, yet it can flood the land (not good!)

Both Conservative and Liberal can have both good and bad meanings. I was once told that I was liberal in my conservativism. It seems that when we take the best and disregard the questionable or erroneous content of political or philosophical systems, then we are left with what used to be called "Truth".

Some might call me old fashioned because of my reluctance to accept the new "green technology" that has been proposed to totally replace our present, (world wide) carbon based economy.

As we drove through eastern Arkansas yesterday on our way to visit family for Labor-Day, It was a bit disturbing to see the tons of smoke and carbon-dioxide rising into the sky as a brown cloud as the farmers burned the stubble ;in the fields after harvest the rice. Well what is the option: If the straw is plowed under, then the oxidation of this unwanted "waste" will introduce carbonic acid into the soil and next years crop will be adversely affected (this would affect the food supply of the human population of the world as well as domestic animals upon which we depend and feed ; run-off from these acidic soils would then pollute the streams and rivers and aquatic organisms in the Biosphere would be killed.

If we shift from a carbon based economy to a "green economy" will we be free of pollution? If we consider the requirements of "green" technology, we must accept the collateral damage to our planet that is caused by this shift. One of the key elements in our shift toward clean energy is wind-power. The giant turbines used to generate electricity depend on ceramic Niobium magnets. The effeciency of this type of generator and corresponding motors for electric cars and other electrical devices depends on the mining of this rare earth element, Niobium. Herein lies a serious problem. Currently there is a spreading chemical desert in Northern China, where the only economically feasible source of Niobium currently known is being mined. Hundreds of square miles are spreading related heavy metals into the ecosystem of our world. Thousands of people are affected by these poisons and the number will grow as the watershed carries these minerals downstream- eventually to the sea and into the food chains there.

What other unknown byproducts of the "green" revolution will be discovered