not the story of our time

I want to direct you all to a video at The New York Times. HERE is the link to an article, which includes the video. I found what Andrew Revkin had to say as extremely profound:

Q. Obviously climate change is the biggest story on your plate right now, but looking ahead what do you see?

A. My coverage has evolved. Climate change is not the story of our time. Climate change is a subset of the story of our time, which is that we are coming of age on a finite planet and only just now recognizing that it is finite. So how we mesh infinite aspirations of a species that’s been on this explosive trajectory — not just of population growth but of consumptive appetite — how can we make a transition to a sort of stabilized and still prosperous relationship with the Earth and each other is the story of our time.

And it’s a story about conflict. It’s a story about the fact that there are a billion teenagers on planet earth right now. A hundred thirty years ago there were only a billion people altogether — grandparents, kids. Now there are a billion teenagers and they could just as easily become child soldiers and drug dealers as innovators and the owners of small companies in favelas in Brazil. And little tweaks in their prospects, a little bit of education, a little bit of opportunity, a micro loan or something, something that gets girls into schools, those things — that’s the story of our time. And climate change is like a symptom of the story of our time, meaning our energy choices right now come with a lot of emissions of greenhouse gases and if we don’t have a lot of new [choices] we’re going to have a lot of warming.

I have often stated that what we are really dealing with is global destabilization; it is not just climate change, that is one aspect of what we are seeing. In order to live a sustainable life, we have to change how we live. I was just discussing with a friend today that she and I lived a very different childhood than her four year old is going to be exposed to. That is, if we commit to changing, and create a place (politically and environmentally) for our children to grow up in.

Watch the video. Interesting.

holiday gift suggestions, day 1

It is the time of year where we spend a lot of money buying gifts for friends and family. It is a practice that I don’t necessarily support, but I figure if you are going to do it, you might as well make it something that helps us and not hurts us. Therefore, I will be giving daily suggestions for things you can buy your friends and family this holiday season.

GREEN DIMES

Give the gift of less junk mail. Seriously, who wouldn’t want that. It is $20 for a whole year, so it is affordable, as well.

What happens? You submit a name and address and let them know what you would like to keep getting (mainly for catalogs). They use that information to contact anyone and everyone and get the name off of mailing lists, effectively, stopping the waste of junk mail. In fact, they guarantee 90% of your junk mail will be stopped. And, if that isn’t reason enough… they also plant FIVE trees in your name.

I mean… come on! What a gift. This literally is the gift that keeps on giving. At least… in terms of oxygen!

So… if you have employees, service providers, neighbors or the like, that you want to give something to, but are just not sure what… sign them up for Green Dimes

american in transition, part 2

Barack Obama announced his Security Team, yesterday, which included the appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

Something that has been buzzing for a while is that idea that climate change, and not enacting sound policy, can be a risk to national security. For example, if we are the only ones that have clean water or food, then another country may try a terrorist attack to get our resources. That is a very simple explanation behind the idea of two things being linked.

So, in my mind, it becomes critical that the people making national security policy have a strong environmental track record and see what we are up against. I feel that Clinton is a strong choice for this reason, alone.

In a past interview, while running for President, with Grist:
“Global warming is a global problem that’s going to require a global solution,” she said. “As president, I will work to involve both China and India. But I think it’s important for the U.S. to provide leadership by taking aggressive steps to reduce our contribution to global-warming pollution.”

Why this is significant is because this is the person who will be representing us in the upcoming rewrite of the Kyoto Protocol and other global issues about climate change. We need someone who supports the science and, more importantly, supports change in our current policy, i.e. we don’t have one.

All in all, I think Clinton is a fantastic representative for the United States for the rest of the world.

how does your garden grow?

Our food choices affect many things, but one area that has always been a concern for me is its impact on climate change. Remember, climate change is not just the warming of our planet, but it also is the effect on our water and soil due to chemicals, overuse, over population, and much much more.

That is why I found it interesting when I read today that CalTech is studying methods of urban hydroponic gardening and roof top farms. I suppose one reason why is because I tend to think if a scientist is really researching something, then there is enough support to think we really need it.

Supporters point to the environmental cost of trucking produce from farms to cities, the loss of wilderness for farmland to feed a growing world population, and the risk of bacteria along extensive, insecure food chains as reasons for establishing urban hydroponic farms.

And, so far there seems to be some great data:

Cornell agriculturist Philson Warner, who designed the program’s hydroponics system, said his students harvest hundreds of heads of lettuce a week from an area smaller than five standard parking spaces by using a special nutrient-rich solution instead of water.

The numbers have some researchers imagining a future when enough produce to feed entire cities is grown in multistory buildings sandwiched between office towers and other structures.

You can find the whole article HERE, via Huffington Post

just sharing

I have to admit that I, and I hope I am not alone in this, sometimes take for granted what we are told. For example, I have read Hamlet, but since I am not a student of Shakespearean literature, I don’t have the whole thing memorized. So, over the years, I have often quoted “to thine own self be true”, without realizing the next passage is critical to the first.

I think in fact it is the American way to misquote this because we are so committed to ourselves and only ourselves; therefore, you must be true to yourself. And, I won’t argue that. However, I think if you read the entire sentence, you find that you are being told a more important lessen.

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

You see the value of this passage is in the interpretation. It essentially means that in being true to yourself also means you cannot “be false to any man.” In other words, by being fake to another is to be betray yourself as well. Being true to yourself means being to true to another.

something to think about

book review: why we hate us

I am about a chapter away from finishing one of the best books I have read in a long time.

An excerpt: The environment for character education today is rotten. The times are not exactly ripe for etiquette, either. The screaming lack of both virtues contributes enormously to the “why we hate us” saga. We hate weasels and we hate rude people. We should. But – big but – when it comes to character and manners we are obliged to again consider not just what we think of the world, but what we contribute to it. Do we, in public, exhibit good character? Do we have good manners?

I think you can tell by my writing, that I am disheartened by the lack of community. I do not believe in over-consumerism and corportacracy. I get depressed when I see teenagers dressing and speaking inappropriately. I think media has caused issues that will take longer than over night to fix. I do not value a government that lies to us, nor a government that has spends more time campaigning than passing worthwhile legislation.

If any of that resonates with you, then I think you will enjoy this book.

You can find it on Amazon: Why We Hate Us: American Discontent in the New Millennium, by Dick Meyer.

A very quick read, and well worth it!

something funny happened on the way….

I don’t really know where to begin this. I had an odd experience that I want to share with you.

You see, today I did one of my routine, mundane tasks. Because of the type of person I am, I do these simple tasks observing all around me; the signs, the cars, and of course, the people. Today was slightly different, though. Today, for whatever reason, in my observation of others, I saw how they observe me. And as a result, I saw that people do not see in my the way I feel in myself.

I will start from the beginning. As most of you know, I am not working, but I spend my time diligently trying to make this site a source of income. The consequence, sometimes unfortunately, is I spend a lot of time at home, alone. Like any person, I need to get out sometimes and rejuvenate and nurture myself. I am reading an amazing book, right now, so I decided to walk to a favorite lunch place and read.

The place is about three miles from my home, round trip. As you may guess from my blog, I would never choose to drive to something so close. I also decided to not ride my bike, because I wanted to stretch my time away from home out as long as I could. I live in Studio City. The southern (?) most end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, getting it’s name from the plethora of movie studios. As you can imagine, with studios comes people in the industry.

Why do I mention this? On a typical road in Studio City, there is always a handful of SUV’s, trophy moms, actors trying to make it, actors that have, kids driving cars no 16 year old should be allowed to have, etc., etc. I think you get my point. I observe these people, I make judgments. I’ll be honest. I judge. Most of the time it is easy to do. The people drive their cars oblivious to what is going on around them, changing radio stations, talking on the phone. However, today, I saw someone see me.

She was in a Mercedes Benz. A nice one. Blond, collagened lips, well toned, well put together, probably an actress. (Yes. I am good at observing.) As I crossed the street, I looked at her. She met my eyes and then her face changed. Normally, when I catch someone’s eye, their face changes because they are shy and insecure. This was different. She looked at me and I can tell by her expression, she felt sorry for me. I have to say I was a little shocked. So, as I walked the last distance to the restaurant, I thought about it.

I was still thinking about it when I stood in line, and ordered my food, and found my table, and started to read. I could tell that two girls had taken the table next to me, but thought nothing of it. You try not to pay attention to conversations, although you always have one ear ready to take in the important dirt. As they were sitting, the one girl said to the other, “Thank you for coming to lunch with me, I would hate to sit here alone….” As she trailed off, I could tell that she had caught sight of me and had wanted to lower her voice. I looked up and once again was met with a look of empathy.

I will be the first to admit this has a lot to do with being in Los Angeles. But, I won’t take away from the fact that it has a lot to do with our culture, in general. What I felt today was that as a result of making decisions that were the best for me, people felt sorry for me. It is like being against the norm does more of a disservice to the psyche and the ego than being a part of the group. It reminded me of when I was a child, my mom was dating a man that thought she was dealing me an unfair hand for not getting remarried and raising me alone. As if, the pressure of trying to fit in, when I was so clearly different would somehow hurt me.

Let’s take the walking example. I do not belong to a gym. I walk because it keeps me healthy and gets me out of a car. Most people in Los Angeles, only exercise in the form of a gym. I don’t want to discredit the gym, either. Many of my favorite people, I met at a gym. However, the truth is they are ecological black holes sucking up energy in return for vanity. In most cities, they are used as social forums. In a time when it is very hard to meet people like you, going to the gym gets you one step closer. But, I can be hypercritical of that, too.

In our society, you can go from your home, into your garage, into your car, down the freeway and into work without encountering one person that you don’t want to see. You listen to your music, you go to your coffee shop, you go to your gym, and you go to your employment. You have designed your life to fit you, perfectly. You never have to encounter something that you don’t want to, whether it be a newscast or a type of person. You even listen to commercials designed for your demographic, so you think you are unique.

When you walk, you have to be a part of it all. I looked at my community inundated in trash. I looked at road repairs that have taken over two years to be accomplished. I watched as people were rude to one another on the roads and old friends met for coffee at a small, non Starbucks establishment. I saw what my community is made up of, all the good and all of the bad. When you put yourself into a protective bubble, you don’t have to deal with the reality of the world. You can be oblivious to the issues that your neighbors are going through down to driving right past someone who may need help.

I ended up listening to the conversation of the two women next to me, as well. I can honestly tell you, they didn’t talk about anything. Don’t get me wrong, I sat for an hour listening to words come out of their mouths, with a respective “uh-huh” coming out of their friends mouth. But they were talking about nothing. I didn’t even get a sense that they had genuine affection for each other, as friends should. So, who was better off for how the spent there lunch, me or them?

I’m not sure what my point is to this whole essay. Things to ponder I guess; How can I get a message across if people feel sorry for me and think I am on the fringe of true society? What have we done to ourselves, as a whole, that we have allowed ourselves to get this far in the rabbit hole? I do know one thing. I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life. The looks I got today didn’t dishearten me to think I should change. Nor, did they strengthen my resolve. They just were. It was another day of seeing something new and pondering and trying to figure it all out, since that is what we are all doing here, anyway.

foreshadowing quote of the day

I don’t have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It’s a depression. Everybody’s out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel’s work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there’s nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there’s no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV’s while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that’s the way it’s supposed to be. We know things are bad – worse than bad. They’re crazy. It’s like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don’t go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, ‘Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won’t say anything. Just leave us alone.’ Well, I’m not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot – I don’t want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!’

-Howard Beale in “Network”, 1976

nano-nano

A couple weeks ago I wrote an article about the possibility of nanoparticles doing more harm then good in cosmetics, vitamins, and the like. (You can find the original post HERE.)

The studies had indicated that absorption by the skin and blood stream could cause these nanoparticles to cross the blood brain barrier resulting in damage. A new article suggests that airborne nanoparticles in paint, cosmetics, sunscreens and plastics, can also cross the blood-brain barrier. The study used mice to show that exposure to the particles caused inflammation and cell stress… just read that: caused problems in the brain. The greatest shock, the stress resulted after TWO days and ONE inhalation exposure. By the end of the study, major damage had occurred in the brain.

The article discussed more about the significance of the findings, and the more interesting part is a sidebar defining nanoparticles and how they are used. HERE is the article.

quote of the day

The Media is an abstraction (because a newspaper is not concrete and only in an abstract sense can be considered an individual), which in association with the passionlessness and reflection of the times creates that abstract phantom, the public, which is the actual leveler. . . . More and more individuals will, because of their indolent bloodlessness, aspire to become nothing, in order to become the public, this abstract whole, which forms in this ridiculous manner: the public comes into existence because all its participants become third parties. This lazy mass, which understands nothing and does nothing, this public gallery seeks some distraction, and soon gives itself over to the idea that everything which someone does, or achieves, has been done to provide the public something to gossip about. . . . The public has a dog for its amusement. That dog is the Media. If there is someone better than the public, someone who distinguishes himself, the public sets the dog on him and all the amusement begins. This biting dog tears up his coat-tails, and takes all sort of vulgar liberties with his leg–until the public bores of it all and calls the dog off. That is how the public levels.

Soren Kierkegaard, The Present Age, 1846

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