Bloggers for Positive Global Change

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Bloggers for Positive Global ChangePamm tagged me for a meme to spread the word about “Bloggers for Positive Global Change“, where the idea was started by Deborah and Francis of Climate for our Future. Check the original post for details of the meme.

The idea is to name (and thereby award) blogs and bloggers who are making a difference for global change. Though I’ve been “awarded”, I wonder if I am making a difference, really, for global change. I tend to believe things are so out of control there’s not much we can do except take care of ourselves. This challenge was a wake up call for me. Thank you Pamm.

The ubiquitous photo of the lost Polar Bears trying to ford a crumbling ice scape breaks my heart every time I see it. I know there are 100’s of species going extinct every day. I know the rain forests are being destroyed at sickening rates. We are killing our planet.

But I also know I am a citizen of the country whose ridiculous standards of living have set the level the rest of the world feels they deserve, as they should. My father likes to play devil’s advocate when I rant about how much energy Americans consume. He looks me in the eye and asks, “Are you going to trade your house for something more Eco friendly?” It stops me in my tracks.

I try to do my part by recycling, using less electricity, gas and water. I garden organically, though not very water efficiently. I still use my Central Air when it gets too hot for me to work or sleep in the heat. But deep down, I know my father is right. Someone has to go first. And as much as I want to be the first, I still wait for someone else to start. I am selfish and want to keep the good life I have.

But this meme has made me more aware of possibilities. I will now keep an eye out for more and more little things I can do. My attitude has awakened. That’s a beginning, at least. I will now award several blogs which I feel are doing something, more than I have, to make a difference. I hope they will spread the recognition further with their own choices.

Brian of Backseat Driving challenges a bunch of global warming denialists with a bet that global temperatures will continue to increase over the next 20-50 years. I have a feeling he’d win them all. He also has another fun idea for bloggers to help charity in his post Global Warming Cut and Paste for Charity.

In Gristmill, a very good group blog about environmental issues and commentary from the website Grist, I found this very inspiring list of the core principles (links to articles) for a bright green future, taken from WorldChanging.

Real Climate, a very comprehensive blog of climate issues and science made accessible, posts a Friday Roundup of recent news. Included among stories and updates of current global warming debates; the Sun is off the hook for causing global warming; further reports on “The Great Global Warming Swindle”, (TGGWS) attempts to debunk the facts; a useful link to their new RC Wiki, where the debunking is debunked with authority!

Tamino does his small but important part to educate a skeptical reader who doubts the validity of the science of averaging temperatures to predicts global warming.

The Oil Drum reports and fosters discussion about energy and our future. Their post about the peak oil debate reminds me that driving is no longer a right, it’s a luxury.

Blue Climate posts a NYTimes article warning of flooding in the NE US if continuing warming raises sea levels. The areas affected include lower Manhattan. Nothing like a reality shock to wake us up!

100 Mile Diet is a blog (comment-less) about eating local. Another reminder of things we all can do.

Global Climate Change blogs about a Car Free DC Day on September 17 in Washington, DC. Alas, Columbus doesn’t really have any decent mass transportation. Slow, smoggy buses are all we get.

Eco Street suggests ways we can give the office a green makeover.

Alt+Energy writes about the Sustainable Bio Diesel Summit.

Candle in my Lantern

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Candle in a Lantern

The candle in my lantern
burns days, years and nights.
Thoughts of being lost
flickers the flame to fright.
Memories of my lover’s
pale, musky loins sways
its pointy tip to dizziness with
swoons of rapturous flights.
The idea of his demise nearly
strips the spirit off its wick.

So I soften to pictures of
pleasant, sunny trips;
lolling hammocks
between two strong trees
near a gurgling, mossy creek.
Yet the flame still falters,
feeling turmoil from some distant shoal.
Only when I cease yearning
does its white spear hold center,
filling the breath within me
with his hot, clear glow.

Project Armannd

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I enjoy finding blogs (sort of) similar to mine. It’s taken me awhile to find my niche; a peculiar blend of personal experience, spiritual advice, philosophical explorations, poetry, gardening, food and general inspiration. Yesterday someone named Titus-Armand commented on my site, so I checked out his blog, Project Armannd. I was pleasantly surprised to fine a quality blog, one which isn’t prepackaged to a particular audience as so many are these days. He explores a variety of subjects toward living a better life; “about today’s society, issues of today’s world, tips on self-improvement, spiritual advices, inner peace, general psychology, happiness, and some other things…” The topics he chooses are intriguing and unique, like the psychological meaning of certain eye movements. But he doesn’t just report. He interprets. I like that. Welcome Titus-Armand (TA?). I like your style.

Ratatouille!

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Ratatouille ingredientsIf you love food, go see the movie. It’s a sweet, meaningful story about a rat who has a gift for cooking and who ends up in a famous French restaurant. As usual, Pixar creates a beautiful animated world. There’s lots of fun voice acting, especially by Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens) and Peter O’Toole.

And I LOVE the dish ratatouille. It’s one of the first things I learned to make. What’s great about it is its flexibility. Once you have any combination of the basic ingredients you can do just about any proportions and it turns out nicely. Lots of room for creativity, which I love.

Ratatouille!The veggies are the usual Summer bumper crop: tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, onions, garlic. The spices are all the basics: thyme and oregano, though the mix called “Herbes de Provence” is the traditional, colorful flavor mix. Sauté it all in wonderful olive oil and, voilá! It can be served alone or with rice or on bread or stuffed in crêpes. I like to top it with some yummy mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and broil it to bubbly perfection.

The way it’s prepared in the movie looks like art and I want to try it that way someday, with rows of thinly sliced veggies lined up and drenched in some savory sauce. Even though it’s just animation, the dish looks delicious.

What’s Your Learning Edge?

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The EdgeAdam has started a meme by the name “What’s your learning edge?”. And I’ve been tagged by Ed Mills from Evolving Times. The challenge is to write about what you need or wish most to learn.

First a few words on the idea of edge. The epigraph of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge reads: “The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard.” (from the Katha-Upanishad). Pema Chodron often uses the phrase to describe the place where one becomes uncomfortable with new and challenging experiences or feelings. In the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author often discusses the importance of balance between challenge and reward in achieving a state of flow. If something is either too easy or too difficult, flow doesn’t occur. A while back I wrote a philosophical poem called The Edge about the difficulty of making choices.

At this point in my life the edge I wish to explore has nothing to do with reading or acquiring knowledge. Quite the opposite, my edge is to just be rather than always doing. I find that many problems in my life stem from my inability to just be, just be OK as I am, without any corrections, attractions, improvements or alterations. I am admittedly a compulsive doer, a perfectionist and very competitive. I am also a classical musician, where being present is vital. So just being is perhaps the most challenging goal of all for me to learn, and the one thing which may release the most constructive/creative energy for me. So there it is. Just BE. Simple. Perfect. And quite elusive to many of us, I’m sure!

I hereby tag Pamm, Isabella, Hilda of Living Out Loud, William of Integral Options Cafe, Josh of System 13, Scott of Finding Your Marbles. I’ve invited some new bloggers I’ve never met, but I thought it would be a good way to mix things up a bit.

Here’s what do to. To quote the original author of the meme: “Write a post about your “learning edge” and what you’re into these days. Feel free to mention any books you’re reading, classes you’re taking, people you’re learning from or collaborating with, etc. Tell us about the gems you’re picking up, the fun you’re having, etc., especially if they’re shifting the way you look at what you do.”