The Lorax-Dr. Suess

After all the dense reading we have done this term, it was very refreshing to sit back and enjoy a children's book...although, really, The Lorax is a very dark story for a child to read. The story it tells is one of destruction, of utter abuse of the earth and a disregard for other life. Profit was what was occupying the Once-ler's minds. The fact that numerous other animals were relying on the natural resources surrounding them didn't matter at all. Even when he could see the damage he was doing, what his family was doing, and despite the Lorax's pleas the only important thing was to keep producing, to keep tearing down the trees to create his product. You may be wrap it in a pretty package, with bright pictures, cute characters, and silly singsong words, but the main point is still the same: this earth is dying, and we are killing it. The message that Dr. Suess conveyed in this children's book was the same, minus all the fancy figures and graphs. I find that amazing. 

I can’t decide if I am glad that I took this class or not. I do think that it is important information, that everyone should be aware of how they live and what it is doing to the earth, but it was very hard to listen, read and see all the damage. To hear that people exist that don’t care about the earth and it’s health, that money is all that is important. Money isn’t making us happy. It is stressing us, and planet Earth out. I feel overwhelmed, like I should be worried about more than my own personal trifles. I feel guilty for not being as eco-friendly as I could be. But now that I am armed with the right information, I can make my carbon and water footprint smaller. I can live as sustainably as I possibly can. I want future generations to enjoy the natural beauty of Earth the way that I am. I can’t imagine not being able to enjoy a cool breeze and fluffy clouds in a blue sky, bright sunshine and fresh fields, peaceful lakes and busy rivers...I love this planet. Sustainability has strengthened that love. So I guess I am glad that I took this class. :) 

David MacKay-Sustainable Energy-Without the Hot Air

“Campaigners also mislead. People who want to promote renewables

over nuclear, for example, say “offshore wind power could power all UK

homes;” then they say “new nuclear power stations will do little to tackle
climate change” because 10 new nuclear stations would “reduce emissions
only by about 4%.” This argument is misleading because the playing field
is switched half-way through, from the “number of homes powered” to
“reduction of emissions.” The truth is that the amount of electrical power
generated by the wonderful windmills that “could power all UK homes”
is exactly the same as the amount that would be generated by the 10 nuclear
power stations! “Powering all UK homes” accounts for just 4% of UK
emissions.” - David MacKay, Sustainable Energy-Without the Hot Air

“The point is that these natural flows in and out of the atmosphere have been almost exactly in balance for millenia. So it’s not relevant at all that these natural flows are
larger than human emissions. The natural flows cancelled themselves out. So the natural flows, large though they were, left the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and ocean constant, over the last few thousand years.” - David MacKay, Sustainable Energy-Without the Hot Air

For this weeks weblog I wanted to bring to your attention two quotes from a marvelous book by David MacKay. He writes in a frank and refreshing style of climate change, fossil fuels, human influence, politics involved, and various other topics relating to sustainable energy. His British sense of humor and his tongue in cheek ways of expressing things make this that much more enjoyable to read, while being extremely informative and frank about the bare facts surrounding sustainability. 

I picked the first quote out because, although I knew that you can’t always believe what politicians and other public figures tell you, I had never realized how blatantly they could twist facts around to make their idea seem so much more logical and realistic. The pure facts that MacKay presented helped me understand what was really going on with sustainable energy sources and why some ideas were presented as better than others. It’s infuriating to think of how many people, myself included, were fooled by the twists and turns of these public speakers who only want to promote the idea that will gain them the most profit. Money. Disgusting stuff. 

As for the second quote, I really loved it because of the utter simplicity and logic that MacKay used. His logic is undeniable, in my eyes, and I completely agree with him. It really astounds me to think of anyone being able to argue with his statement concerning natural CO2 levels as compared to the CO2 emitted by humans and how it is causing an imbalance. The quote just flowed along beautifully, with no faulty logic or ideas. 

Blessed Unrest-Paul Hawken

"'As Booker T. Washington said: 'Let no man pull you down so low as to make you hate him.'" -Blessed Unrest, page 82 quoting a speech done by Martin Luther King Jr. 

While reading the chapter titled Emerson's Savants in the book Blessed Unrest, I was really struck by all the connections between famous figures in history. Emerson was an influence on Thoreau, and Thoreau an influence on Ghandi, and down the line to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Though Emerson did not agree with all of the actions that Thoreau took, he nonetheless was a huge part of what Thoreau believed was right and what needed to be done. It really was fascinating to see how they all seemed to lead into the next one's actions and lives. 

Anyway, that isn't really what I wanted to talk about in my blog tonight. I want to talk about hate. Hate, one of the strongest emotions in the human spectrum, in my opinion at least. The old saying that hate is such a strong word is undeniably true. When someone uses the word hate, it is in anger, in fear, other very strong and also very negative emotions. I don't like to use the word hate, nor do I like to hear it out of other people's mouths. Honestly, it takes way too much out of you to hate another human being. It is literally exhausting. I feel that the word should never be used. People do terrible things, and people hurt one another, but to hate someone is to let them hurt you more than they have already. Hating someone gives them a certain power over you, because you are consumed with this feeling. You avoid seeing them, talking to them, thinking about them...they have control over your life. Hate can also lead to other destructive actions and behaviors, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, destruction of property leading to loss of life...in a word, revenge. Mr. Washington was very wise when he said the above quote. And it only makes sense for a man as great and as peaceful as Martin Luther King Jr. to have quoted him in one of his famous and inspirational speeches. 

I am not saying that we all have to love one another. Humans are not going to love everyone they meet. I don't think it's in our wiring. But don't hate. Live your life, move on and spread as much love as you can. And if someone comes along that rejects that love, move on. Love is such a strong and enduring emotion. We need more optimism, more positive feelings in this world. 

Joseph Conrad-An Outpost of Progress

"But the contact with pure unmitigated savagery, with primitive nature and primitive man, brings sudden and profound trouble into the heart. To the sentiment of being alone of one's kind, to the clear perception of the loneliness of one's thoughts, of one's sensations--to the negation of the habitual, which is safe, there is added the affirmation of the unusual, which is dangerous; a suggestion of things vague, uncontrollable, and repulsive, whose discomposing intrusion excites the imagination and tries the civilized nerves of the foolish and the wise alike."

Conrad has an amazing ability to describe something horrendous, dark and disturbing with beautiful language and intense imagery. He also has a deep understanding of the complexities of the human mind, the savage as well as the civilized. In this piece, he tells the story of two men who are sent to a site within the forests of the Congo, a site that has little to no value or interest to their Director. He simply wants to get rid of them for a while. These two men are thrown into a completely different environment, one in which their civilized ways are of no use to them. The utter darkness, the unfamiliarity of this site strikes fear into these mens souls, shakes them up. They feel immediately the savage nature that surrounds them. They are repulsed by this, cling to their sanity and civilization, to each other as the only familiar and safe place to be. But as time wears on, they are slowly eaten away by the darkness surrounding them, begin to lose their control, and show signs of that wild, bestial nature that Conrad believes exists in us all. An animalistic nature, one of instinct and survival.

It's funny, because when I had to read Heart of Darkness and watch the movie Apocalypse Now in high school, I was bored out of my mind, didn't understand a word he was saying. Now, after watching and reading of the utter cruelty and evil that was committed upon the peoples of the Congo...now, I understand and appreciate Conrad's writing and analysis. Maybe it's time to give Heart of Darkness another read.

Blessed Unrest-Paul Hawken

"Indigenous cultures keenly sense that they are judged by the terms of a Darwinian bias: namely, that there are higher and lower peoples, and that because one's culture is not European or modern, one's history is not as distinguished or valuable." -Hawken. page 94 Blessed Unrest

"Social Darwinism is a belief, popular in the late Victorian era in England, America, and elsewhere, which states that the strongest or fittest should survive and flourish in society, while the weak and unfit should be allowed to die. The theory was chiefly expounded by Herbert Spencer, whose ethical philosophies always held an elitist view and received a boost from the application of Darwinian ideas such as adaptation and natural selection."
(http://library.thinkquest.org/C004367/eh4.shtml)


What really boggles my mind is why Europeans think that they are so much higher on the totem pole than other peoples. The fact is that all peoples have their strenghts and weaknesses, skills and knowledge that are vital to the area that they inhabit. Some are more inclined to have agricultural skills, knowledge of the seasons, which plants and animals flourish and which perish depending on the weather and other factors, some have knowledege of medicine, whether synthetic or organic, some have knowledge of languages and literature, trade and bartering skills, money skills in general, how to make a profit...there are so many different trades and tricks out there, and it is absolutely amazing how some peoples have adapted to their environment, become so in tune with their surroundings that they are able to tell which times are best to fish judging by the phase of the moon. Europeans and the U.S. enjoyed the benefits of the Industrial Revolution, where we learned to make stronger, faster, more productive equipment, resulting in a more luxurious lifestyle than most others would have (actually we just had more stuff). So my point is this: how are we any better than indigenous people, people with the resourcefulness and perseverance to learn their land and the ways of the environment, to really make a connection with what they need to do to survive? This does not mean that they are superior to us in any way. Americans and Europeans have learned the ways of technology, advanced medicine, mass production, schooling in a multitude of subjects as diverse as psychology, mechanical engineering, biochemistry, sociology, Shakespeare, and women's studies. As a result of our environment, we became who we are today. No one should be made to feel inferior because of who they are, no matter their strenghts or weaknesses. Social Darwinism is a sick joke. The beauty of the human race is our diversity, our utter uniqueness and ability to adapt and change. However, we are all humans, and well all deserve respect and fair treatment. We all share this Earth, for as long as it is here for us.

Bishop Brother Bartolome de las Casas (Casaus)-A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

"These people would be the most blessed people on earth if only they were given the chance to convert to Christianity." -pg. 11 (of the packet we were assigned)

First off let me say that I am not against religion, of any form. I think religion is a beautiful thing, and it can do wonders for people. However, I do not believe that there is one right religion, or one that is the closest to God, or any sort of superiority as far as that goes. I do understand being biased towards your own religion, believing it to be the best, but there needs to be a certain level of respect towards other people's beliefs and feelings, especially when it comes to a subject as loaded as religion (another obvious example of a loaded subject would be politics, but that is fodder for another discussion). The people in the above quote were natives of the lands that the Spaniards were "settling." These natives did just fine without Christianity, and they would have been the same good, kind, honest people even if they had never heard of Christianity. They were blessed in that they were good people, friendly and trusting, giving people. Yet the Spaniards, who would call themselves Christians, were slaughtering these people, enslaving them, torturing them, stealing from them. Christianity isn't a label that you can choose to tout when you please, and "the so-called Christians set about stealing from the people and murdering them on the pretense of settling the area." (page 13 of the packet). I guess my point is that you don't have to be a Christian to be blessed, and just because you are a Christian doesn't make you a good person, doesn't mean you are blessed. 

Citizens of the World-Martha C. Nussbaum

"The best education, they held, was one that equips a citizen for genuine choice of a way of life; this form of education requires active inquiry and the ability to contrast alternatives."-Nussbaum, page 54

The above quote comes from a piece of writing by Martha C. Nussbaum, titled Citizens of the World. This quote refers in particular to the Athenian way of thinking. These people considered freedom of choice and the ability to see and think critically about alternatives extremely important. These values are the same that we as Americans hold dear-the freedom to choose. The freedom to learn and see what choices are out there to make, and then, when we have made a choice, to carry it out. Unfortunately, not everyone, even in America, enjoy this ability. This is not only unfair, unjust, it is devastating. Especially since signing up for this class, Sustainability, I have seen and read of people that live in extreme poverty, without clean water, shelter, a steady and healthy supply of food, diseases run rampant, infant mortality rates are sky rocketing. Who would choose to live like this? I hear about all this from the comfort of a well lit classroom, surrounded by fellow college students and my professor, day dreaming about what I am going to eat for lunch, or about how much I want to go shopping, or about how much my life sucks because my boyfriend and I broke up. It's difficult to imagine living as these people do. The people of wealthy nations balk at the thought of giving up any semblance of their affluent lifestyle; and really, it wouldn't make things any better to subject others to that sort of poverty. The real solution is to give these people the ability to make a choice, to live as they would choose to, where they are. Simply giving these people clean drinking water, giving them the land they need to work and make a living, the materials they need to build sturdy houses...not everyone would choose to live as Americans do. More money, more "stuff" doesn't equal more happiness. That much is obvious in our society, with the number of suicides and depression cases in our nation. People have the right to make their own choices; no one should be robbed of that right.