ch-changes

apologies to david bowie....

i had a conversation with a blog buddy of mine the other day about the rapidity of change that feels as if it occurred over the past decade. in fact, we both agreed that it felt as if we missed a couple of decades somewhere and ended up here. now, in all probability, we didn't :) but it sure feels that way. both of us are fairly adaptable and i, personally (and i suspect he too), love new technology. not all of it will i use- but hey, i think tools to assist in the world's peoples communicating freely- well, it has to be a good thing. and i am not crediting martha stewart for that one ;)

anyhoo, i say quite a bit that the more things change- the more they don't. and that's oddly true too. reconnecting with folks from the past may seem like a good idea- to catch up and to find out what's been going on in their lives and so on- but in truth, it probably isn't. at least in my case. what i have found over the years is that- human beings don't really change at their core. who they are at 18 at the core- is who they are at 38 or 48 or 58, etc.. now, that's not to say that they are the same people- the outside stuff does change- but the values they decide on or that are instilled in them- stay fairly consistent. at least in my experience...

i don't know that i have quite figured out the human species yet though... we are a strange breed. many of us have families who love us but who we don't know how- or don't want to- communicate with. it's baffling to me how many people out there are relieved to move away from their parents and basically write them off and out of their lives for no better reason than they are annoying- or boring. really? these folks gave you life and nurtured you- stood by you during rough times as well as good- and because you are so very busy and self important living your life- you leave them be. nice.

i understand dysfunctional families all too well- i lived in one. i have been fortunate to have at least one viable parent- and i am thankful for that. i see folks from around the globe who have lost their family and/or friends through war, famine, drought, natural disasters, etc., who would most likely give anything to have them back- and we, here in america, throw our families away in the pursuit of selfish interests. haven't wrapped my mind around that yet.

when you look at america as a country- there are some positive changes taking place in pockets- but i don't think you can look at it as a unified country anymore. we are imploding and folks are desperately trying to actively deny that we are. a nation is only as good as the people that makes it up- and i really don't see americans as good people. we are an egotistical, narcissistic lot who wants what we want when we want it and the rest of the world be damned. if we think that you may threaten our lifestyle of fast food and mcmansions- well, we'll just blow you to smithereens with our video game toys so we don't actually have to get our hands dirty- and we can sleep at night pretending we haven't killed anyone of any importance.

hey, if they ain't a wasp- they don't belong on the planet- right? i suppose that's why we can ignore our loved ones with no conscience- and why we don't work to communicate with them while we all share life. it's easy to disagree and use it as a wedge to keep us apart. it takes courage and growing a set to put aside our egoism and self interests and make time for what is really important- human relationships and family. it is my belief that the folks who will survive climate change won't be the wasps- or the western world- we will take until we can't take anymore- it will be the cultures who have a belief in sharing and working together and who believe that ancestors and elders are worth something.

and that's change i can believe in...

it's that time of year

i find myself thinking more in 'seasons' than in months these days :) i suppose it's because i am starting to think in terms of 'gardening' instead of just grocery shopping. i really hate grocery shopping. and, i have a feeling more and more folks are feeling the same way because i have seen reports at various news agencies about the rise of the backyard garden here in america. suburbanites taking back their yards from the sculpted hedges and flowers with names i can't pronounce that aren't indigenous; urbanites container gardening and taking vacant lots for community plots- family farms hanging on by a thread and attempting to go organic.

that has got to irritate big ag quite a bit. but i don't care. i have no desire to put genetically altered, hormone and antibiotic stuffed meats, dairy and vegetables in my mouth. i suspect many other folks don't either. at any rate, it's a trend towards more self sufficiency- more awareness about the environment but also about our own relationship with our planet and nature- and how we effect each other.

and, while i know that evolution takes a long time when left to it's own devices, i honestly see the writing on the wall for the right wing mind set. negative, mean spirited, aggressive, sociopathic power hunger along with greed isn't going to survive in a world where we are going to have to work together to simply to exist as a species.

and, i, for one, will not be sorry to see that dinosaur- um elephant- go extinct.

Epic Eco-Trek Evades Northern Mexico Violence

Hopping across the US-Mexico border on a Greyhound bus is merely a hiccough when your bike trip measures 8132 miles through Alaska, the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

Alex Godfrey and Andrew FinlayAndrew Finlay began an epic cycling journey on the Arctic shore in Deadhorse, Alaska on August 2nd. They won't stop until they reach Panama City in March 2010. They're on a mission: to seek out people in diverse environments and uncover their successful methods of sustainable living.

Godfrey, who was born in England in 1983 and raised in France, and Finlay (known as "Fin") who grew up in the UK and has a handful of years on Alex, are no ordinary trekkers. Alex is a master of biodiversity conservation, and Fin is an environmental advisor and manager. They are recording their journey in film, in photo and on a blog as they lay the foundation for the upcoming "Going South" documentary [Trailer HERE]. It will chronicle their discoveries as well as those of their counterpart duo who are currently biking through South America. The two teams combined will traverse the hemisphere longitudinally, from Arctic Sea to Antarctic Sea.

The two altered their planned border crossing when border officials and other locals warned them about the violence in North Mexico. Godfrey quips: "...two 'Gringos' on bicycles with plenty of easily sold gear would be like hanging the proverbial carrot in front of the 'Bandito's' noses."

They adapted their plan with solid problem-solving skills, making arrangements with Greyhound bus to bus through northern state of Chihuahua to its capital. This meant dismantling their bikes--not intended to be easily disassembled--and crating them for transport.

Good fortune led them to biking enthusiast West Cosgrove. He heads Project Puente, a nonprofit organization specializing in introducing visitors to the inner dynamics and social issues of the El Paso-Juarez border. Godfrey assessed Cosgrove's assistance with gratitude: "[West] gave us an objective overview of the current situation and made the whole passage as stress free as possible."

The duo arrived safely in Chihuahua ahead of schedule.

The website "Going South--cycling through the Americas" follows both biking pairs on the epic journey. Ecologically sustainable project samples they are investigating are explained on the site in six categories. Projects include everything from ACAI berry production to fully biodegradable diapers.

Climate Change - Shlimate Change!

Here's the thanks we get from nature for us doing nothing about climate change (emphasis added):

[READ MORE +/-]

Oceans rising faster than expected as climate change exceeds grimmest models

Since the 1997 international accord to fight global warming, climate change has worsened and accelerated — beyond some of the grimmest of warnings made back then.

As the world has talked for a dozen years about what to do next, new ship passages opened through the once frozen summer sea ice of the Arctic. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost trillions of tons of ice. Mountain glaciers in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa are shrinking faster than before.

And it's not just the frozen parts of the world that have felt the heat in the dozen years leading up to next month's climate summit in Copenhagen:

The world's oceans have risen by about an inch and a half.

No surprise there.

Maybe we need to fudge further the science of climate change in order to finally manage to shape the reality that we want?

I suppose we'll finally accept the fact that we should've done done something about this catastrophe once we'll be several feet under water ...

(Cross-posted from APOV)