Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Fukushima - Worst Environmental Disaster in History


When the nuclear power plant at Fukushima, Japan was wrecked by a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami back in March, 2011,  the four reactors were severely damaged.   The critical cooling systems   suffered catastrophic breakdown. The radioactive fuel in each reach reactor was uncovered, causing runway nuclear meltdown.  Moreover, several of the spent fuel storage systems lost their cooling water.  The result: highly radioactive material has been fully exposed to the environment for two years plus, with no end in sight.

TEPCO, the company behind the Fukushima reactor has consistently under-reported the extent of the calamity.  The Japanese government and media, for the most part, have also understated the extent of  the nuclear disaster at Fukushima.


Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant


From the moment Fukushima went into meltdown,  I have believed that it would go down as the worst environmental disaster in the history of the world.  That's a pretty bold statement. After all, I don't qualify as a nuclear expert.  The real 'nuclear experts' are all over the map on Fukushima.  Those working in the nuclear industry mostly downplay the impact of the meltdown.  But those experts who aren't making a living off of nuclear power tell a different story....a story much closer to the worst case view I find entirely compelling.   There is no comparison with Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Fukushima is orders of magnitude worse.



Fukushima


A couple of points. First, the entire Fukushima facility is now highly contaminated with deadly radioactive materials and has been so since the initial reactor meltdowns.  Second, the groundwater beneath the plant is contaminated and is spreading radioactive material through the water table.  The people tasked with dealing with the disaster have been risking their lives trying to keep the situation from getting worse. One thing they have been doing since the beginning is to spray huge quantities of seawater on to the radioactive rumble to cool it and keep it from getting worse. Trouble is, that seawater becomes radioactive when exposed to the nuclear fuel.  That radioactive water ends up back in the sea.  There is no end in site for the flow of radioactive water into the ocean off the coast of Fukushima.

While TEPCO and the Japanese government continue to mislead and reassure the public, behind the scenes, they have no good answers for fixing the mess at Fukushima.  A half-assed solution may be as good as it gets. It could take decades to implement even an inadequate response to Fukushima. Radioactive materials stay that way for thousands of years. Moreover, the cost of  any response, including one that is half-assed, is an off-the-scale, bottomless pit. 

It's just amazing to me that two years plus into this ongoing calamity at Fukushima, the nuclear industry has been able to keep a lid on the story.

Today,  I ran across a radio interview that said that Fukushima has contaminated the biggest body of water on the planet. The entire Pacific Ocean is expected to end up with radioactive cesium contamination 5-10 times higher than at the peak of the nuclear bomb tests in the fifties.  It won't end with the Pacific. Eventually, it will be all the world's oceans.

In the US, nuclear power is on life support. Just a few months ago, the San Onofre Nuclear Plant, which everyone who drives on Interstate 5 to San Diego passes by, was announced to be closing for good.  Many countries have announced an end to their commitments to nuclear power, including France, which up to a few years ago was the world's greatest proponent of atomic energy. 

I only hope that the true specter of Fukushima will be reported to the public more forthrightly as time goes on.  In the US, the nuclear power lobby remains a formidable force with deep pockets.   But they are trying to prop up something that cannot stand up to any kind of honest scrutiny.  The only thing they have going for themselves is money. Sooner I hope than later, that 'radioactive' influence money is going to dry up.

Oh, on my contention that Fukushima is the worst human caused environmental disaster in the history the world.  Anybody care to suggest an alternative? Maybe the reengineering of the Aral Sea? Maybe the tar sand mining in Alberta?  The deforestation of the Amazon basin?  The Exxon Valdez oil spill?  Think about it; that one place, Fukushima; that one human failure is directly responsible for the large scale, ongoing radioactive contamination of the Pacific and eventually all of the world's oceans.  Am I overstating things? I can only hope so.




Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Pilot Porn


So, people who fly airplanes love cockpits; the places up front where the piloting is done.  Just ran across a webpage at the Smithsonian's Air and Space branch that features very cool 360 degree rotatable images of the cockpits of a whole range of iconic air and spacecraft.

The DC3 first flew in the early thirties. For some missions, even now, eighty years later, it's still the best plane available.



Cockpit - Douglass DC3
 



The Boeing B52 bomber dates from the early fifties. It has eight jet engines meaning there are a lot of controls and instruments for the pilots to manage.




Boeing B52 Bomber


The P51 Mustang was the best fighter aircraft of WWII

WWII P51 fighter

Anyway, if you're an aviation buff as I am, check out the following link. You'll be glad you did.  http://www.airspacemag.com/panorama/198460521.html?start=11&page=1&c=y




Sunday, July 28, 2013

Al Bartlett - Arithmetic, Population, and Energy


"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function"

Al Bartlett is an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Colorado.  Physics is not what Professor Bartlett is most famous for.  He is one of the world's foremost teachers of the basic natural laws governing human population growth and resource consumption..


Professor Al Bartlett


"Can you think of any problem in any area of human endeavor on any scale, from microscopic to global,  whose long term solution is in any demonstrable way, aided, assisted, or advanced by further increases in population, locally, nationally or globally."  Professor Al Bartlett


I first saw a video of Bartlett's compelling presentation on exponential growth, human doubling time,  and  the dire ramifications of  population growth about 20 years ago. 

Al Bartlett has spent the latter part of his life giving thousands of lectures and making educational videos that assertively present the dangerous consequences of unchecked human population growth.  I have to say that Al Bartlett had an impact on my life. He was one of the teachers who inspired me to become a population activist.  
 
The videos I co-wrote and produced on population, Jam Packed and The Cost of Cool, both came after I was exposed to Al Bartlett's no-nonsense presentation on Arithmetic, Population, and Energy.
 
I can't thank Dr. Bartlett enough for the inspiration and motivation he helped instill in me and my colleagues who have been active with me on the population issue.  I should mention my co-co-conspirators by name. They are Michael Tobias, Alexandra Paul, Greg Molina, Michelle Griffith, and Marc Griffith.
 
Al Bartlett's health has failed him recently. So, I wanted to write this piece and just recognize how much he meant to me and to the population cause he encouraged me and so many others to champion.
 
I wish you well, Al, and thank you for all that you have done to serve humanity and your planetary home.
 
Here is a link to the first segment of Al Bartlett's video lecture, Arithmetic, Population, and Energy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY
 
Here is a link to Al Bartlett's webpage...http://www.albartlett.org/
 
 
 
 Addendum: Al Bartlett passed away  on September 9, 2013.  He was a warrior for the planet...

Poison Ivy Loves Climate Change

Here's piece that highlights a consequence of climate change that one wouldn't think about. If  you've never suffered the symptoms of contact with poison ivy,  trust me, it's not something you should wish for. 

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Poison Ivy Loves Climate Change
07/22/2013
SustainableBusiness.com News
Increasing carbon in the atmosphere is making it hard for most animals and many plants, but there's one group of plants that's luxuriating in the new-found warmth: poison ivy and other vines.

Poison ivy is growing faster, bigger and more potent.

If you don't know how to identify the shiny 3-leaf plant, now's the time to figure it out. And if it's growing up your trees, it's time to remove it.


Poison Ivy


 More carbon often leads to more plant growth, but vines including native poison ivy and invasive plants like Asiatic bittersweet, English Ivy and Asiatic honeysuckle that climb on trees are among those benefiting the most. Leaves are much bigger than they were, it grows faster and thicker, consuming edges of woodlands and choking trees. 
Deer, bear and other animals eat the leaves and birds spread seeds when they eat the white berries. But it causes an itchy rash when humans come in contact with it. 

Along with a doubling of poison ivy growth since the 1960s, the potency of the oil poison ivy produces has also doubled, Lewis Ziska, a research weed ecologist with the US. Department of Agriculture told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Americans may scratch their way into a climate-altered future, he says, because "The chemistry of the oil itself changes in such a way that it more likely will produce a rash when you come in contact with it."

"Poison ivy and vines in general really, really benefit from higher atmospheric CO2," Jacqueline Mohan, assistant professor of biology at the University of Georgia, told the paper. "Vines use the infrastructure of trees, which means they can use carbohydrates generated from photosynthesis to make bigger, greener leaves."
Vines flourish by wrapping around trees - that hinders tree growth, allowing the vines take control. When they get to the top they use the tree's crown as a platform, which smothers and kills the tree.


Poison Ivy Climbing Tree


In her surveys of forest plants in South Carolina she finds that poison ivy is one of only a few plants that's becoming more abundant in coastal plain forests.
When people come in contact with poison ivy - either by touching a leaf, touching a pet that's come in contact with it, or even by weed-wacking it, it enters the air - most react to the oil that gets into the skin, causing a rash.

The oil - urushiol - is harmless but most peoples' immune systems react to it as a foreign invader, which causes the rash. Some people are so sensitive to it that just a pinhead worth of oil can land them in the hospital.

As much as we hate Monsanto, using Roundup is the most effective, easy way to kill these vines. Simply cut the vine at the bottom about an inch above the soil. Use a small paint brush to smear it on the exposed root.

Oriental Bittersweet:

Oriental Bittersweet1


Oriental Bittersweet

 
 
 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Earth from Saturn


The following image was taken July 19th by the NASA Cassini space probe orbiting Saturn.  In this image, our Earth is 900 million miles away, roughly ten times the distance of the Earth from the Sun.

Earth (see arrow)

It's deeply humbling to see an image of ourselves from this perspective. Where the universe is concerned, we are a mere speck on the horizon.


Cassini approaching Saturn






Thursday, July 25, 2013

Climate Change - Do The Math



It's disheartening to see the public policy that comes from our government on energy and climate change.  Any non-ideological,  rational person can see the moral bankruptcy of our continued reliance on fossil forms of energy.  I'm talking about coal, oil, and natural gas. Beyond the economic arguments, which are clearly reflected in rising prices for these fuels, the biggest reason we need to wean ourselves from their use as soon as possible is the scourge of climate change. Fossil fuels pollute. They are the direct cause of atmospheric warming, a global scale challenge unprecedented in the history of humanity.



So, why does the energy policy of the United States government continue to encourage our dependence oil, coal, and natural gas? It's because the people behind these traditional fossil forms of energy have a stranglehold on our nation's energy policy. It's because in America, big dirty energy shapes public policy to fit their agenda. They are entrenched, in control through the use of their political influence money. They use it to stuff the pockets of politicians willing to do their bidding.

Pushing back against the corrupt influence of the fossil and nuclear energy industry is s huge problem.

Building public awareness and consensus for change in the energy arena is ongoing on many fronts.  Groups like 350.org, run by climate activist Bill McKibben, are using grassroots organizing to educate and combat the big money influence of the fossil industry.

There is a new feature length movie out titled, Do The Math.   It offers a clear picture of the challenges we face with climate change and the forces at work, who are doing their best to undermine any efforts to sway public opinion toward meaningful climate action. 

Here is a link to a video trailer about, Do The Math... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLr_lfyRfqY#at=73



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Dance of the Honey Bee


Bees are wonderful little creatures. They work tirelessly to serve the hive, gathering nectar and pollen from flowers far and wide.




We tend to take bees for granted, not understanding that they play a crucial role in the lifecycles of nature.  Most plants require a transfer of pollen from one individual plant to another to reproduce.  Bees are the instruments of much of that cross pollination. If it weren't for bees,  the natural food supply humans depend on would shrink dramatically. 




Bees are in a lot of trouble these days. Whole hives can disappear in virtually an instant due to something called Colony Collapse Disorder.   Mounting evidence suggests this could be  caused by the wide spread use of a particularly deadly form of insecticide known as  neonicotinoids. The manufacturers of these insecticides deny any link to honey bee deaths. Odd, when you consider that bees are insects. Duh.  When you spread this kind of poison over the landscape,  it's going to kill any small creatures that come into contact with it.  That bees are particularly vulnerable should be no surprise.

As I wrote at the beginning of this piece, bees are wonderful little creatures.  We need to appreciate the very important role they play in the fabric of life. That's the first step in becoming advocates that recognize that protecting bees is tantamount to protecting ourselves.

Here is a link to a new video called Dance of the Honey Bees...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo6fK1yKcAA





Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Humpback Whales Startle Kayakers



I love video clips like this. Here we have a team of filmmakers from the Discovery Channel in Alaska getting up close and personal with a pod of humpback whales.


 
 
One of the ways humpbacks feed is by blowing air bubbles in a circle below a school of herring or other fish. The circles rise like a curtain, confusing the fish, causing them to cluster together inside the ring of bubbles. Then, the humpbacks come up from below, mouths agate, and swallow tons of water and fish at a time. The whales use their tongues to push the water out of their mouths, while retaining the fish.  It takes a lot of fish to slake the appetite of a 50 ton whale. This technique of feeding is very effective and remarkable to witness.





Here is a link to an amazing close up experience with humpbacks feeding in the Gulf of Alaska...  http://on.aol.com/video/north-america--humpback-whales-startle-kayakers-517860640





Sunday, July 21, 2013

How Much Renewable Energy, and When...


 I pulled this from Zach Strahan's 'Clean Technica' blog.  As he points out, there is a wide range of projections on how much clean energy we will have in the future.  It really comes down to who is making the projections. Those who stand to gain from minimizing the estimates, like big oil,  see themselves as still being important players in the energy arena in 2030 and beyond.  That's because they control our government's energy policy. If the public demands a rapid transition to clean technologies, it can happen. The technologies are already here.


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How Much Renewable Energy Will Be Installed In 2030? 2040? 2050?


 
Ren21 — a global renewable energy policy multi-stakeholder network that connects governmental bodies, nonprofit organizations, industry associations, research institutes and universities, and members of civil society — recently conducted a massive, 75-page report on a large variety of potential renewable energy scenarios for the coming decades. The report, “REN21 Renewables Global Futures Report,” compares scenarios created by fossil fuel companies (like ExxonMobil and BP), leading nonprofit organizations (like Greenpeace and WWF), the International Energy Agency (IEA), and others. In total, Ren21 reviewed 51 different scenarios.

The report is very detailed, so it’s worth a close read by anyone who is very interested in the topic of renewable energy, or who is working in a relevant industry. But even for the common citizen, I think there are some key points to pull out of it (and of course some fund charts and graphs).
First of all, the key point is that there are massive differences between different scenarios or projections. As one would expect, those who benefit financially from keeping things closer to how they are right now (i.e. BP and ExxonMobil) created scenarios that projected much more limited renewable energy growth, while environmental organizations (i.e. Greenpeace and WWF) created scenarios that projected much more optimistic renewable energy growth.


renewable energy share projections


renewable energy shares



I think there are generally two key, overarching points to take away from the variety of scenarios:
  1. Policy choices have a humungous effect on what sort of world we create in the coming decades. Policy factors were the only assumptions that resulted in the scenario variations. Of course, there were many assumptions used in each study that had an effect on the results — technology advancements, consumer behavior, industry behavior, etc. But policy assumptions were one of the most important — probably the most important. And policy choices are up to us. They are up to citizens, and of course legislators.
  2. Scenario projections themselves are used to influence policy and the public. It may seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out that the scenarios put out by BP, ExxonMobil, WWF, Greenpeace, etc., while they are simply based on different assumptions, are often aimed at influencing what the public and policymakers think can be done, should be done, or even will be done. They are tools used to advance certain goals.
With those two points in mind, I would just emphasize that the future is ours to make, and we should make it a clean and safe one.

Global warming and climate change pose a huge threat to human civilization and the human species, as well as countless other species. We could cook ourselves out of existence. Rather than do so, we can demand policies that will protect our climate (while also cleaning our air and water, creating jobs, improving our economy, and making our lives more convenient), or we can sit on our butts and let big fossil fuel companies control our governmental bodies in order to maximize their profits (at the expense of society as a whole).

The choice seems obvious, which is why I do what I do, but it’s clear that we need more people to share this sort of information, get involved in industries improving the world, and get involved in politics in a way that will also help lead us to the more logical future.
OK, that’s all I have as far as text goes. Here are some more charts, images, and tables from the report for your enjoyment and use:


renewable projections


global renewable transport shares
Share of biofuels in transport.
 
 
cleantech home
What your house could look like. 8 cleantech solutions
 
.
renewable energy investment shares


us renewable energy scenarios


global renewable energy capacity scenarios


More resources related to the report are available on the Ren21 website. And here us a PDF version of the full report.

Read more at http://zacharyshahan.com/how-much-renewable-energy-will-be-installed-in-2030-2040-2050/#ggodFOL5Wr1AR66g.99



Saturday, July 20, 2013

The Box Factory


The Phillips Brothers Mill and Box Factory  still depends on the stream powered machines first installed in 1897.  These days, with all the pulleys and belts moving under steam power, the mill would never pass muster with OSHA. Fortunately, it is allowed to continue operations using the old equipment.





Here is a wonderful video that showcases the old box mill working just as it did more than a century ago..  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mKSKZau9qs#at=831



Friday, July 19, 2013

The Coast and Crater Lake


Had a chance this past week to spend some time on the Southern Oregon coast and also in Crater Lake National Park.  I took a few photos.  Sometimes, I get lucky and capture an image that offers an opportunity for a  bit of artistic creativity. It's always fun when that happens.  It actually happened a couple of times during this trip.

The first time was when we were approaching Reedsport on the coast.  We came across the Dean Creek wildlife grazing area favored by the Roosevelt Elk indigenous to the Pacific Coast. Surprise, there was a 'baker's dozen' of these majestically antlered animals lounging together not far from the road. The image that follows captures the moment, with a bit of painterly processing applied.




The next image was taken at the beach in Bandon, Oregon.




The one below was captured in the small harbor at Bandon.




The next one is the windswept beach just South of the coastal community of  Gold Beach.  The three people on the beach are my wife Jenny and her parents.




The  image below came during a stop on US 101 by an isolated stretch of untamed beach.




The last two images come from the final segment of our travels at Crater Lake National Park.  The bluest water I have ever seen.








It's fun to take images that are already beautiful and apply an additional touch of magic that makes them even more special. 



Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Boycotting Florida


This past weekend,  a fool named George Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering a 17 year old black boy named Trayvon Martin. Most people know the story. This guy Zimmerman, a cop-wanna-be, is out guarding his neighborhood. He's got a handgun concealed on his hip.  He decides this kid Trayvon Martin is a 'suspect'. He harasses the kid, gets into an altercation with him and shoots him dead.

Zimmerman was out looking for trouble. He pursued the kid when the police told him not to. He killed the kid. How is that not at least manslaughter?  

The state of Florida has something called the 'Stand your ground' law. It was created by the Republican conservative controlled Florida legislature at the behest of  gun advocacy groups like the National Rifle Association.

The jury in Zimmerman's trial acquitted him, saying he was defending himself, even though he started the confrontation.  Self-defense has always been part of the law for people who feel threatened with no reasonable means of retreat from the threat. 

 Florida is one of a handful of states that have 'Stand your ground' laws. That in effect allows one person to kill another person if he or she feels threatened by that other person, even if the shooter does have a reasonable means of escaping the confrontation.

Anyway, the legal system in Florida has allowed George Zimmerman to get away with murder.  Here's my response.  I will not set foot in or spend one dollar in the state of Florida until the 'Stand Your Ground' law is repealed.  If enough people took that kind of personal action, the people of Florida would get the message and vote out the conservative politicians who are responsible for making Florida such a dangerous place, particularly for young black men.




Monday, July 15, 2013

Giant Otters of the Amazon


There is a special place in my heart for Otters.  They are large aquatic mustelids, closely related to weasels and wolverines.  I have been fascinated by them since I was a child. In the river, lake,  estuarial and marine shoreline habitats where they live, they are apex predators, so good at catching a meal that they have abundant time on their hands to play and goof around. Watching Otters being Otters is a total delight.




The link below is for a full length documentary about the giant river Otter, a species that is indigenous to South America and the Amazon river basin.  Giant Otters can be over six feet in length as adults. They are formidable predators, but like all species of Otters, they are also experts at playing and having fun.




This documentary was produced by British cinematographer, Charlie Hamilton James,  who has long had his own fascination with Otters.  


Charlie Hamilton James
 

I have great admiration for people like Charlie James.  It takes more than just skill with a camera to capture the kind of images and video footage that reveal the beauty of extraordinary species like the Otter. You have to love nature and the creatures that become your focus.  You have to be willing to spend countless hours in the wild places where they live and endure the worst kind of hardships and weather conditions. People like Charlie James provide the means for their audiences to truly appreciate the gifts of nature. There is no way to put a price on something like that.  

 
Here is a link to a You Tube presentation titled, Giant Otters of the Amazon... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYLb6X2Jy-8
 
 
 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Mining the World to Death


I'm reposting this piece from the AlterNet webpage.  It's another clear reflection of  'too many people, too few resources' - a simple paradigm that is shaping our lives and putting future generations in serious jeopardy. 

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Mining the World to Death


The following is an excerpt from We Are All Apocalyptic Now: On the Responsibilities of Teaching, Preaching, Reporting, Writing, and Speaking Out, in print at Amazon.com [3] and on Kindle [4] (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013).
 
Progressive analyses of inequality and injustice focus on the illegitimate hierarchies in patriarchy, white supremacy, the imperial nation-state system, and capitalism. The final hierarchal system—and in some ways the most dangerous—is the industrial model of human development, the latest and most intense version of an unsustainable extractive economy.
 
The bounty that makes contemporary mass consumption possible did not, of course, drop out of the sky. It was ripped out of the ground and drawn from the water in a fashion that has left the continent ravaged, a dismemberment of nature that is an unavoidable consequence of a worldview that glorifies domination. 
 
“From [Europeans’] first arrival we have behaved as though nature must be either subdued or ignored,” writes the scientist and philosopher Wes Jackson, one of the leading thinkers in the sustainable agriculture movement. As Jackson points out, our economy has always been extractive, even before the industrial revolution dramatically accelerated the assault in the 19th century and the petrochemical revolution began poisoning the world more intensively in the 20th. We mined the forests, soil, and aquifers, just as we eventually mined minerals and fossil fuels, leaving ecosystems ragged and in ruin, perhaps beyond recovery in any human timeframe. All that was done by people who believed in their right to dominate.
 
One way to understand that domination is the context of the two major revolutions in human history—the agricultural and industrial revolutions.
 
The agricultural revolution started about 10,000 years ago when a gathering-hunting species discovered how to cultivate plants for food and domesticate animals. Two crucial things resulted from that, one ecological and one political. Ecologically, the invention of agriculture kicked off an intensive human assault on natural systems. Gathering-hunting humans were capable of damaging a local ecosystem, but the large-scale destruction we cope with today has its origins in agriculture when humans began exhausting the energy-rich carbon of the soil, what Jackson has described as the first step in the entrenchment of an extractive economy and Jared Diamond has called “the worst mistake in human history.”
 
Human agricultural practices vary from place to place but have never been sustainable over the long term. Politically, the ability to stockpile food made possible concentrations of power and resulting hierarchies that were foreign to gathering-hunting societies. Again, this is not to say that humans were not capable of doing bad things to each other prior to agriculture, but only that what we understand, as large-scale institutionalized oppression has its roots in agriculture. We need not romanticize pre-agricultural life to recognize the ways in which agriculture made possible dramatically different levels of unsustainability and injustice. 
 
The industrial revolution that began in the last half of the 18th century in Great Britain intensified the magnitude of the human assault on ecosystems. Unleashing the concentrated energy of coal, oil and natural gas to run a machine-based world has produced unparalleled material comfort for some. Whatever one thinks of the effect of such comforts on human psychology (and, in my view, the effect has been mixed), the processes that produce the comfort are destroying the capacity of the ecosphere to sustain human life as we know it into the future, and in the present those comforts are not distributed in a fashion that is consistent with any meaningful conception of justice. The ecological consequences of this revolution are painfully obvious. 
 
These two changes in human history come together today in what typically is called “industrial agriculture,” the dominant method of producing food at this moment in history in the United States, the rest of the developed world, and increasingly in the developing world. It is a style of agriculture that everyone agrees has produced substantial increases in yields, tripling the world grain harvest in the second half of the 20th century. Critics, however, point out that those yields have come at the cost of deep, and possibly permanent, injuries to the land, people and other species.
 
Various characteristics of industrial agriculture have been evolving over time, but by the second half of the 20th century the industrial system was firmly in place in the United States. The features of the current system include: (1) heavy use of nonrenewable inputs purchased off the farm, such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; (2) extensive mechanization, making farming both capital- and technology-intensive; (3) heavy reliance on fossil fuels for those inputs and mechanization, to such an extent that critics joke that modern farming is the use of land to covert petroleum into food; (4) decreased self-sufficiency for individuals and communities, and increased dependence on corporations; and (5) a lack of concern for, if not outright hostility toward, systems and living things that do not directly contribute to production.
 
Along with the dramatic increases in food production, the predictable results of this system have been: (1) drastic and continuing loss of topsoil; (2) declining soil fertility; (3) a severe reduction in farm population; and (4) the resulting loss of knowledge of traditional methods that require fewer inputs, less technology, less capital, and more people.
 
This is what Jackson calls “the failure of success,” the paradox of a system that results in more food coming from fields that have less, and less fertile, soil. The so-called “Green Revolution”—a variety of research and social programs associated with the work of Nobel Prize-winning agronomist Norman Borlaug—was not really a revolution but an extension of industrial agriculture to the Third World, which resulted in short-term reductions in hunger but also exported this extremely fragile model to the developing world, creating the same long-term problems.
 
The agricultural revolution produced the first systematic extractive model, which set us on a road to eventual collapse. The industrial revolution ramped up our speed. The material benefits of those revolutions are not spread equally or equitably around the world, which challenges us to create a more just world as we struggle to find a new model for a sustainable world. 
 
 
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Robert Jensen is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. His latest book is 'All My Bones Shake: Radical Politics in the Prophetic Voice' (Soft Skull Press). He is also the author of 'Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity' (South End Press)
 
 
 

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Edutainment


 I am reposting the article below because I feel passionately that theatrical and television drama offer an extremely effective means to reach mass audiences, delivering entertainment and at the same time powerful messages that can facilitate positive culture change.

Population Communication, run by activist Robert Gillespie, is just one group that has sponsored soap operas and other TV dramas in countries like Indonesia that entertain while educating audiences in a culturally sensitive way about health and reproductive issues.

This kind of issue oriented entertainment could also be used to great effect here in the U.S.  Unfortunately, these days  movie and television businesses in America are assiduously focused on the bottom line.  Because profit is the be all and end all with the American media, the message is almost always shaped to serve narrow interests.  Because the Koch Brothers, Exxon Mobil, and BP,  to name a few, sponsor  media broadcasts on public and commercial television, programming that is critical to those narrow interests does not get broadcast.  Broadcasters are simply unwilling to offend them that pays the bills.

In effect, the media is the 'nervous system' of humanity.  If we are going to turn low information citizens into informed voters, we must be able to deliver the truth to them through the public airwaves. Right now, in America, that is not happening. 

The following article demonstrates how 'edutainment' is being delivered effectively in other countries.  We desperately need to be able to  do this here as well.


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Soap Operas as “Edutainment”

by Isobel Coleman
July 11, 2013
 
 

Children watch television in the Meerwada village in central India, June 2012 (Adnan Abidi/Courtesy Reuters).       
Children watch television in the Meerwada village in central India, June 2012 (Adnan Abidi/Courtesy Reuters).

       

Turns out, popular media is not always a mindless distraction. There is evidence that so-called “education-entertainment,”  which weaves important information about health, safety, and cultural issues into an enticing plot line, can be highly effective in combating cultural prejudices and encouraging positive behavior. In some cases, exposure to progressive media is enough to upend societal preconceptions. For example, a recent study shows that one year after cable television was introduced into several rural Indian communities, fewer viewers said it would be acceptable for a husband to beat his wife than said so a year earlier. The study also found that there was a reduced preference for male children in Indian communities with cable access compared to those without it.
Progressive television programs in Brazil have had a comparably powerful effect, as writers and producers have taken on social and cultural issues, adding both more drama and more educational value to their programs. For example, a 2008 study found that after Brazilian soap operas began portraying families that were smaller than the national average, the fertility rate dropped in the regions where these shows aired. Women viewing these programs sought to emulate them and, combined with greater access to contraception, this led to a declining fertility rate and an increase in women’s independence and ability to pursue educational and career opportunities.
 
Similarly, television programs can encourage entrepreneurship. Simplemente María (Simply Maria), a Peruvian soap opera that aired in 1969, followed the fictional story of a young woman who moved to the city, learned to read and sew, and eventually became a famous fashion designer. The show was wildly popular and aired five days a week for two years. The rags-to-riches story, ripe with lessons about perseverance and women’s independence,  led to a substantial spike in enrollment in literacy classes throughout the country.
 
In Pakistan, NGOs like the Aurat Foundation have long used radio-based soap operas to reach rural women, many of whom are literate, with important social and health messges. Now, deeply contentious issues are increasingly examined through popular culture outlets, such as film and television. Bol, the highest-grossing Pakistani film of 2011, tells the story of the strained relationship between a father and his transgendered son. And the upcoming show Taan, a spin-off of the American show Glee, tackles issues related to homosexuality, Islamic extremism, and interfaith relationships. The widespread popularity of Bol and high expectations for Taan, in a country where homosexuality is punishable with life imprisonment, illustrate how popular media can challenge cultural norms even in repressive societies.
 
International organizations would be remiss to ignore this rich opportunity to facilitate social change and raise awareness about important health issues. Indeed, many development organizations, such as the Population Media Center, have already taken advantage of the power of popular media to effect social change. And several producers and governments have taken the initiative to enhance their television programs with educational content. Take Apwe Plezi: a Saint Lucian radio program funded by the government that aired in the 1990s and addressed controversial issues including HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, and domestic abuse. Research has shown that the program “influenced listeners to increase their awareness of contraceptives, improve important attitudes about fidelity and family relations, and adopt family planning methods.” In addition, Soul City, a popular South African soap opera, produced in part by public health activists, educates viewers about the dangers of unprotected sex and HIV/AIDS. The show is as popular as Coca-Cola is in the country and viewers are nearly four times more likely to use a condom than non-viewers are.
 
The success of Soul City need not be limited to South Africa. Development organizations should attempt to emulate the show’s model and harness the power of entertainment to effect change. Funding progressive and popular programs abroad, which challenge the audience’s preconceptions and provide exciting entertainment, could be a useful way for wealthy countries to further development goals. Sometimes soap operas are simply more effective than lectures or campaigns at transforming society.
 
 
 
 

Friday, July 12, 2013

Malala


In October 2012,  in Pakistan while on her way home from school, 14 year old Malala Yusafzai was shot in the head at point blank range by Taliban assassins, who intended to send a message warning girl children not to seek an education.  Malala survived the attempt on her life. After months in hospital, she has recovered remarkably, and has become a worldwide symbol for the rights of girls to dignity and access to education.


 
 
This past week, Malala's 16th birthday was celebrated at the United Nations, where she spoke powerfully about her right and determination to complete her education..  Her courage and articulate representation of the causes she symbolizes is very inspiring.

 



It also seems that Malala was destined to play a role on the world stage.  Her courage, poise, and charisma would be remarkable for any person, let alone a young girl raised in a backwater town in a country like Pakistan. This is a girl whose culture discriminates massively against women and traditionally denies girls access to education. 

Here is what Malala says about the cowardly Taliban assassins who attacked her.  "They thought the bullets would silence us, but they failed.... We realized the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns. The extremists are afraid of books and pens.... We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back."


 
 
 
 
I admire this child, and very much hope that she is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Such recognition would only elevate her voice further. That would surely be a very good thing.
 
Here is a link to Malala's incredibly impressive speech at the United Nations....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtprX8i2k-Q
 


 
 
 
 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Biggest Problem of All


As of now, mid-year 2013, the world human population is about 7.2 billion. That's billion with a B.  At the moment we are adding about 75 million more people every single year.  The city I live in, Portland, Oregon, has about 600,000 people. Every single year, we are adding the equivalent of 125 cities the size of Portland to the human population. 

Every person we add to the population comes with a requirement for water, food, shelter, and a whole range of other resources and services. Problem is, the Earth is not expanding.  Our planet - the only one we have - has only a finite amount of resources.  When we add the equivalent of 125 cities the size of Portland to the world population every year, the water, the food, and everything else those people need has to come from somewhere. 



Deforestation, ocean resource depletion, climate change, and fresh water scarcity are just a few of the global scale challenges we face at this moment in time. In every instance, the primary driving force behind these profound challenges is human population growth. 





I became a population activist thirty years ago. There weren't very many of us at that time.  Those of us who were committed to expanding the public's awareness of the population issue were and still are up against a mountain of ignorance. People just don't want to talk about population. They don't want to connect the dots. I joined a group called the Population Education Committee. I worked with them to create a couple of booklets that presented the reality of population growth.  We focused on reaching high school and college age students with our message.  We produced a couple of education videos for a teen audience. One was called Jam Packed. The other was called, The Cost of Cool.  Both of these videos won awards.  They were good videos, and are still being used to this day in school classrooms across America. But, there's no denying, part of the reason they got the recognition they did was because there wasn't much else available on population at the time.





In 1985, when I began my population activism, the world population was about 4.9 billion. Since then, in just the last 28 years, the population has grown half again in size - 2.3 billion more people, all needing a piece of our Earth's rapidly diminishing resource pie.






The news is not all bad.  We have slowed the rate of population growth. In 1985, we were adding about 82 million more mouths to feed a year. Now, were down to about 75 million.  Many countries have reduced their population growth to replacement level [ 2.1 babies per couple ] or even less.  But there are still many nations, in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East that are overwhelmed by high human fertility. These highly fertile places tend to be the same places where women are treated like  property, good only for child bearing.  A big part of ending population growth is educating and empowering women in the poorest places, where human fertility remains unsustainably high.  The other part of the solution is to assure access to contraception to all women.  Reproductive choice is a basic human right. Every child should be a wanted child.

Bottom line: in 2013, the world is in a tailspin, largely because there are simply too many people chasing after too few resources.  Moreover, the level of ignorance that still exists on this issue is shocking, given how much the world has been impacted by population growth. 

I just watched a new video about human population growth. It offers clear evidence that we remain in very deep trouble where population is concerned, to a great degree because people are still in denial about this very obvious cause of the biggest challenges we face.

Here is a link to a terrific little video that presents the population problem in a very effective way...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kIRDRFuN3BQ



Sunday, July 7, 2013

Twilight of the Elites


Just finished reading Chris Hayes'  book, Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy.   The idea behind the book is rooted in human nature and is pretty self-evident. It is this: People like to get ahead, and when they do, they like to stay ahead.  In America we have evolved a meritocracy to provide opportunity for the best and brightest to achieve the American dream. At least, that's the way it's supposed to work.

Chris Hayes is a very skilled wordsmith. Combine that with a very compelling and well researched argument,  you get a terrific book.   Twilight of the Elites is a terrific book.








At this point, I'm going to defer to some quotes pulled right from the book, interspersed  with some thoughts of my own.

'...the iron law of meritocracy (predicts) that societies ordered around the meritocratic will produce inequality without the attendant mobility ideal... over time, a society will grow both more unequal and less mobile as those who ascend its heights create means of  preserving and defending their privilege and find ways to pass it on across generations.'

This is not rocket science. Kings, Emperors, and war lords have been operating this way since the beginnings of agriculture, 10,000 years ago.  Elites entrench themselves in positions of power and privilege and  they stay there by any means necessary. In the world we live in, it's people like the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson, who wield their power and influence to maintain the status quo that favors them while diminishing the masses.

'...one of the lessons of the (past decades) is that intensively competitive, high reward meritocratic environments are prone to produce all kinds of fraud, deception, conniving, and game rigging.'

'...we cannot have a just society that applies the principle of accountability to the powerless and the principle of forgiveness to the powerful. This is the America in which we currently reside.'

'While the basic logic of democracy is one person one vote, our entire system of representation  heavily weights the preferences and interests of those with the most money.'

'...in the three decades after 1979, the top 10 percent captured all of the income gains, while incomes for the bottom 90% declined.

'The challenge, and it is not a small one, is directing the frustration, anger, and alienation we all feel into building a trans-ideological coalition that can actually dislodge the power of the post-meritocratic elite.'

So, corrective action is required; disruptive corrective action.  Where to focus the attention of the disaffected to deliver meaningful change?  In Twilight of the Elites, Chris Hayes talks about building coalitions across ideologies; bringing the disaffected tea party types together with  progressive change agents  like the 'Occupy Wall Streeters' to disrupt the gravy train the elite have created for themselves. That's a tall order to be sure.  This is where Hayes' book falls a bit short.  He talks about altering the code for income taxes and about restoring the estate tax  to reduce the extreme advantage people like Paris Hilton gain through massive inherited wealth. Problem is the already wealthy are experts at using their money and influence to thwart any efforts to undermine their dominant position.

How to get around this problem?  The answer to me is not complicated.  You have to disrupt the ability of the elites to use their wealth to get what they want. The way to do that is to get the underwhelming masses of people affected to focus on one straightforward action that would induce the change that is so badly needed. I'm talking about a constitutional amendment that eliminates 'corporate personhood and the idea that 'money equals free speech'.  These two corrupt legal constructs  are the foundation on which rests the perverse reality that  'he who has the money makes the rules.'

A group called 'Move to Amend' is pressing for just such an amendment. It's language is brief and unambiguous...


House Joint Resolution 29 introduced February 14, 2013

Section 1. [Artificial Entities Such as Corporations Do Not Have Constitutional Rights]

The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only.
Artificial entities established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law.

The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.

Section 2. [Money is Not Free Speech]

Federal, State, and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their economic status, have access to the political process, and that no person gains, as a result of their money, substantially more access or ability to influence in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure.

Federal, State, and local government shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed.

The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.

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Here is a link to Move to Amend's webpage...   https://movetoamend.org/







Saturday, July 6, 2013

Creative Energy


Some of the greatest examples of creative energy come out of the world of product advertising.  

Here are two video commercials produced by Honda Motor Company that are remarkably clever and engaging. You can't help but smile when you see this kind of ingenuity at work.  I have to wonder how much the world could benefit if the people behind these two examples of advertising art were to turn their talents to subjects like global climate change, reproductive choice, or equal rights and opportunity.





This video from Honda went viral on You Tube.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFko-_pVKwg

Here is Honda's version of a Rube Golkdberg classic...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiQ7Auo-Q6s





Friday, July 5, 2013

O Mio Babbino Caro


I wouldn't call myself a big fan of opera,  but I know what I like.  An aria is an expressive melody usually performed by a solo singer, most often as part of an opera.  O Mio Babbino Caro is an aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi, by Giacomo Puccini. It is deeply moving and beautiful to the ear. 


Sarah Brightman


British soprano Sarah Brightman, though not an opera singer, does a splendid job of delivering the emotion and aural beauty of this wonderful opera classic.


Here is a link to Sarah Brightman singing O Mio Babino Caro...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Alx2BnF64







Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Red List


The International Fund for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) has thus far assessed the status of 70,000 of the world's plant and animal species.  That's a very small sample of the world's estimated 1.82 million living species.  But of that small number assessed to this point, more than a third - 20,934 to be exact - have been declared threatened with extinction.   Moreover, a very high percentage of these threatened plants and animals have been pushed toward the precipice by human activity: the destruction and usurpation of natural habitat; the overexploitation of species considered economic resources; the introduction of toxins into natural environments.  Humans use and abuse the land and the living fabric of the natural world with little consideration of the consequences.

We have no choice. We must mend our ways.  Anything short of that translates to a very dismal picture for the generations yet to come.

Here is a brief overview lifted form the Common Dreams webpage that reports on the increasingly perilous state of the biological health of planet Earth.

_______________________________


Published on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 by Common Dreams

"Extinction Crisis": 21,000 of World's Species at Risk of Disappearing

Latest update to Red List of threatened species provides "further evidence of our impact on the world's threatened biodiversity"

- Lauren McCauley, staff writer

An "extinction crisis" is at hand. Roughly 21,000 species, ranging from shrimp to pine trees, are at risk of complete extinction according to an update released Tuesday to an ongoing risk assessment of the world's 1.82 million species.


 A species of cedar, among the world's oldest and largest organisms, is now considered 'critically endangered' according to the IUCN's updated Red List of Threatened Species. (Photo: billandkent/ Flickr) 
 

According to the Red List of Threatened Species, 20,934 of the roughly 70,000 species assessed thus far are threatened with extinction. This year saw an additional 4,807 species to the list.
Calling the news "alarming," Jane Smart, of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which is behind the list, said, "We must use this knowledge to its fullest – making our conservation efforts well targeted and efficient - if we are serious about stopping the extinction crisis that continues to threaten all life on Earth."
This update "is further evidence of our impact on the world's threatened biodiversity, further evidence that extinction is real, and that we must all act, and act now, if we are to prevent this most tragic reality for many more of the world's species," added Richard Edwards, Chief Executive of Wildscreen, a partner of IUCN.
Among this year's addition are the results of the first-ever global assessment of freshwater shrimps—animals vital to freshwater ecosystems—of which 28% are threatened with extinction. According to the list, one such species, the Macrobrachium leptodactylus, was declared extinct after it fell "victim of habitat degradation and urban development."
Tuesday's release also includes the first global reassessment of conifers—the oldest and largest species on the planet—which found that "34% of the world’s cedars, cypresses, firs and other cone-bearing plants are now threatened with extinction – an increase by 4% since the last complete assessment in 1998."
"We are sending a warning," IUCN's Red List Manager Craig Hilton-Taylor told AFP, stressing the huge importance of conifers for their role in the sequestering of carbon.
"The more we have deforestation in the northern hemisphere, the greater the impact will be in terms of climate change," he said.

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Here is a link to the IUCN's Red List webpage...  http://www.iucnredlist.org/