tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-337553382024-03-24T18:33:44.089-05:00Banned Books CafeHundreds of books are banned. You're next.Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.comBlogger333125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-8386697237328172712023-07-28T08:03:00.002-05:002023-07-28T08:03:47.902-05:00Trip to St Helena food pantry<p>Yesterday, with a bandana over my hair under a huge farm worker type straw hat, my Steamboat fashion sunglasses (they shield my cataract ridden eyes from the sides), light jeans, pre-Barbie pink tshirt, I rode my scooter in the 1pm hot sun to get to the food pantry. By the time I got there to St Helena’s, I was 17th in line. Cars waited in the hot sun with no shade for the food from this church. My skin was sizzling like bacon under direct sunlight. After answering 3 diff ppl w info on my scooter, I got my food and came home. Riding the scooter, I would ride in the extreme heat hitting pockets of an oven-like heat every few feet. I guzzled from my water bottle. I was just 2 blocks from my sister’s when I passed her street on Wooldridge, but I know better than to stop by without calling. She is always very busy and it was much too hot to go that way tho it is an excellent safer short cut home. I rode up to the entrance here and my eyes spy a senior couple with the gleam I always see when they decide my scooter is cool. I hurry because I am over heated. I don’t feel like talking to anyone. I am sweating buckets now. They catch up to me and ask all the usual questions and then decide to grill me about the license plate holder in back. I tell them a license plate is not required. They want to debate. My head hurts. My eyes hurt. I want to throw up. I try to be nice and hope I was as I extricate myself to get to the elevator. Another minor challenge. I have to back it in the elevator. I feel worse by the minute. My bottle is almost dry. </p><p>I make it inside and plaster my face in front of the AC. I drink more water. I eat some crackers and for the next few hours felt worse for eating them. </p><p>I fell asleep and woke up around 10pm. </p><p>I made spaghetti for me and the boys. Ragu sauce, a few cheese squares, and some and bite-size weenie pieces. It was good. They loved it. My former street dogs and me. Eating this kid food isn’t my style but I cannot get the hang of buying food without food stamps. Even $50 a week is not enough. Looks like, with inflation, it will take $300 a month for me. Inflation is so crazy right now. So, I am food insecure. A terrible plight when I still have a few more pounds to go. The head trip with this is enormous. I am up for the challenge. </p><p>So, leftover spaghetti, it is, for breakfast. It is funny to me that I eat as much as my 6 lb chihuahua. I WILL MEET MY GOALS. It has taken me about 2 and a half years to get here. I think that is a healthy rate of weight loss. I drink water. Take my meds and vitamins. And sleep is improving. I don’t drink when I eat. I remain upright for 30 minutes after I eat. I watch my protein. I walk my dogs but in the dark. My meds have been adjusted as I get smaller. Low blood pressure was a weird side effect of losing weight. I used to eat almost only fresh food but until I can find a way to get healthy food, I have to make do. </p><p>Adapt or perish. </p><p><br /></p><p>I now weigh 140 lbs! I have lost 86 lbs. I need to lose 14 more lbs. 140 lbs on a 5’2” frame is still overweight. I am under physician supervision. Every lb. I have lost has also resulted in facing the psychic wounds that caused me to gain weight and then kept me from losing the layer of fat that I was deluded into thinking protected me somehow. The real me was hidden deep under all that fat. But that fat is almost all gone. Now what? Well, better clothes await me. Better health hopefully. Healing my wounds still eludes me but now is my sole focus. I want to travel. I am sure AARP has tours for the elderly. I want to go by train. </p><p>Okay. Gotta go. The sun is starting to hit my windows and I better close the curtains.</p>Adventures in Casa de Orohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06807998313977051239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-50031318883511521552022-06-27T08:02:00.001-05:002022-06-27T08:02:48.920-05:00Pic-A-Dilly<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k6MAGAhKWweFMcQ_gssfMM5cKL4wuIDBEbRus9dYNtjOBOMDIw4vuC2cSyf5oqsKV_ZxTiG_vzQ-_uD46hRSCgVQ_wKz9R9OYIu2nNj-q9E1lTz6q0fxdwD4INYbfrSTNWbFr5nC6tWW3q1IO_i8Vpprczm7dnKTlPT4b2iB75O8CMX8Kg/s2922/27ABF953-9122-4DF7-8F54-80A7A784B0A6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="2372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k6MAGAhKWweFMcQ_gssfMM5cKL4wuIDBEbRus9dYNtjOBOMDIw4vuC2cSyf5oqsKV_ZxTiG_vzQ-_uD46hRSCgVQ_wKz9R9OYIu2nNj-q9E1lTz6q0fxdwD4INYbfrSTNWbFr5nC6tWW3q1IO_i8Vpprczm7dnKTlPT4b2iB75O8CMX8Kg/s320/27ABF953-9122-4DF7-8F54-80A7A784B0A6.jpeg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-18650076940963135862014-08-07T11:15:00.000-05:002014-08-07T11:15:21.932-05:00Respect=Ecological Justice!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Respect <span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">[</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">From the Latin verb
<em>respicere</em> “to look back at.” … “An understanding that individuals,
communities (including other species), the ecosphere should be treated in a
just and appropriate way.”</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Modified from Oxford; Merriam-Webster dictionaries]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">paul bain martin</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Entre
menos burros, mas elotes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em><em><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Dicho de Mexico<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em><em><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Me? … We!! </span></em><em><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Muhammad
Ali</span></em><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The free bird thinks of another breeze … and he names
the sky his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a caged bird stands
on the grave of dreams … his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he
opens his throat to sing.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Maya Angelou</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Respect within relationships among individuals, demes,
populations, and communities--locally and across the globe—is dependent upon
profound and comprehensive comprehension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During my formative years and afterward I played, studied and worked
with young and old of various shades of color and various roots in Devine, College
Station, Florida, Georgia, Mexico, Poland, Brazil and other locales (and during
the “Freedom Summer” of 1964—after a feed mill accident--my life was saved by
Afro-Mexican American coworkers, Lacy and Gene Haywood, which <u>must</u> have
in part spurred my quest for respect and justice).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I respectfully acknowledge and confess
that despite my good fortune to have relative power, money, education,
resources, and time with which to work toward improved states of respect, I can
be very lazy and I need to work much harder at learning how to respect various
peoples and assist in the realization of justice for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To wholly respect others it takes a life of learning
the nuances of their language, culture and history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also recognize that I need to spend more
time communicating with the poorest of this and other regions and countries--including
ancient (indigenous) and recent immigrants--and to afford them with the power, resources,
time, and communication skills (in their native language, English, mathematics;
through computers and algorithms) to understand me and my culture and history.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As touched upon above, a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>goal</u></b> of realizing respect is as simple as the theme of the
2014 prestigious TLU Krost Symposium, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">environmental
justice, </i>i.e.,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> ecological justice, </i>or
… just<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> justice!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It involves simple affirmations that we will
do unto, e.g., Haitians and other peoples as we would have Haitians and others do
unto to us if we were in their extremely challenging situation. It is simply the
achieving very significant reductions of consumption by the 1% of humans who
consume 75 times per capita what the poorest 20% consume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would involve drastic reduction of this
consumption also because it is decimating populations of other species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, this simple goal would include the
transfer of a large portion of that power of consumption of the 1% over to the 20%
who are hungry and undernourished and poorly clothed & sheltered, and to
other species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, it would
involve short and long-term management of population growth of humans and
domesticated animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would
necessarily be a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>process</u></b> of
working toward equality and equity through “applied ecology across curricula
and campuses” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>curricula and campuses of churches, businesses,
government entities, not-for-profit non-governmental organizations, as well as
school systems--public, private and home schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be the beginning of what I call a
generation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">positively ethical applied
community ecologists/PEACEmakers</i> who have sustainable livelihoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Herein, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">community</i>
always includes all species in an area!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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On the other hand, the reality of even the beginnings of a realization
of just a bit of a dream of ubiquitous and universal respect truly is perhaps
not so simple, but is very, very, very complex and muddled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It involves grassroot work in the trenches in
local communities all over the world as well as heavy-duty politicking at the
local level and on regional, state, national and even international <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scenes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly the great works of Sam Flores, A.J.
Malone, Dolores Huerta, <em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Willie</span></em><span class="st"> Velásquez</span>, Elie Wiesel, Betty
Friedan, Harvey Milk, W.E.B. DuBois, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela,
Cesar Chavez, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mahatma</span> Gandhi and
others who have fought so hard for respect and justice—but only partially
achieved it--have attested to that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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A journey toward truly holistic respect is about positive
relationships with other humans and with Nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is about real action. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is <u>not</u> “Yes sir!” and “No sir!” to
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">status quo</i>, including our current
world systems’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">status quo</i> of rampant
transformation of energy and subsequent loss of existing topsoil, quality of
water systems, & biodiversity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respect
is not bowing down to the power structures who worship big and fast at the
expense of others, including other species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is most certainly not a neglect of going to the voting booth and a
disdain for getting involved in the political process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An attitude of respect <u>does not</u>
involve the acceptance of our current socio-political/economic systems which are
so exploitive of relatively stable natural economies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respect is looking hard for a different route
toward individual quality life which is quality life for all of the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It starts by speaking truth to power and to apathy,
and to ignorance of ecological processes and principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Global and local <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">power</i> <u>might</u> include the moneyed, transnational corporations,
politicians and bureaucrats, the majority in a democracy, the
military-industrial complex, or religious institutions.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Down these lines, I have to say that too many of
us—including yours truly--are often quite satisfied with our sheltered “life”
in comfortable artificial bubbles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But surely
we </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
should begin to more fully live and launch a critical mass
of relatively wealthy, powerful and ”good” christians/muslims/jews/hindus/buddhists/humanists/others
who would travel to troublesome sites in great numbers and use strategies and
tactics of civil disobedience and non-violence to stop:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wars in Syria, Central Africa, Ukraine, and
other areas of the world; continued production of weaponry; extreme poverty in
Zimbabwe and Haiti and other countries; ecological disruption all over the
globe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and perhaps one day take us a bit closer to open borders, cosmopolitan
and relative peace.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">…………………….</b></div>
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Respect must start with self, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">self</i> must also include local and global community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respect is an effort toward pristine and
natural and is not polluting and not so artificial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It recognizes anthropogenic detrimental
changes in Nature/the Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are but
one of many species working at survival, but we are the dominant one on this
ecosphere and we need to recognize that an excess of this dominance can lead to
extinction of quality life for more and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respect is having <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Faith</i> in the power of good &
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But respect also gives <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Science</i> equal weight and works to
conserve and share with others the resources of mineral and hydrological
cycles, photosynthesis and biodiversity and the daily solar energy which
arrives on this ecosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(On the other
hand it is not imprudently and totally getting on the bandwagon of STEM and many
of the values being pushed in these programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In some ways this currently fashionable “education” process of STEM has
little respect for positively ethical applied community ecology or faith in
Nature/the Commons/the Land, and is far too focused on faster and bigger, pseudo-growth,
<u>inappropriate</u> technology, upward mobility, and money<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… and power over resources.) </div>
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<br /></div>
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As far as the Latin derivation of the word respect is
concerned, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">looking back</i> I
appreciate any good/god I may have in me which would have been contributed from
the villages in which I have lived, including Seguin!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grateful for the freedom of continuing development
these villages provided or are now providing toward eliciting freedom songs
from “caged birds” and enabling “free birds” to realize “We!”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally, I want to get back to the point made in the 3rd paragraph
herein that respect is a complicated and confused process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an understatement to say that humans and
human relationships are not perfect and that change toward real conservation,
resilience, & sustainability--i.e., social justice, humaneness, and
ecological sanity--is tough and very challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But across the ecosphere much does exist in
the way of healthy relationships, dialogue, discussion, listening, diplomacy, and
consensus-building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we do need to
shed plenty of light on this good which is taking place in community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed there is much that is happening in
Seguin which might get us on a road toward increased respect and
good-/god-liness, i.e.,: </div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">voter
registration drives <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">some research
into Seguin’s sustainability status (and a committee on sustainability) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">dialogue
about better and more holistic educational systems including continuing
ecological education<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">initiatives
at more art, historical knowledge, learning of other languages, including
mathematics and computer languages<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">programs
to increase individual/family/community physical and spiritual health<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">scholarships
and leadership programs focusing on the less fortunate<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">naturalists
working to protect and enhance green space <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">programs
to achieve more nutritious, energetically-sound and user-friendly food
systems<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a library which is being
constructed with goals of the long-term conserving of energy and
resources<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">some
efforts at reducing, reusing & <u>then</u> recycling<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">an
effort at mass transport, some bicycle lanes and increased bicycling for
transport rather than just for exercise or recreation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">efforts
toward quality life in Honduras, Mexico, Haiti, Africa and other parts of
the world<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">a
realization that land fills and waste can be very problematic<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">perhaps
some realization that (conspicuous) consumption and the desperate grab for
& transformation of energy can be a serious problem … </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the respect campaign which initiated
this column which has been run much of this year of 2014!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></li>
</ul>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“To live, we must daily break the body and shed the
blood of Creation. When we do this knowingly, lovingly, skillfully, reverently,
it is a sacrament. When we do it ignorantly, greedily, clumsily, destructively,
it is a desecration. In such desecration we condemn ourselves to spiritual and
moral loneliness, and others to want.”</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Wendell
Berry</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-50600430397320843012014-07-06T22:24:00.001-05:002014-07-06T22:24:02.061-05:00PEACE???Do I believe we will achieve peace ... and sustainability (social justice, humaneness, ecological sanity)? ... I would rather believe thusly, i.e., in good (my god), than to worship gods of power and money and more stuff, and therefore believe in war and ecological destruction.paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-79901943753355227542014-06-23T14:23:00.000-05:002014-06-23T14:23:33.370-05:00good god! (Just a thought.)"God" is a lazy man's way to individual "peace". <i>Universal Good </i>strives for universal PEACE. ... I will concede, however, that <i>god</i> and <i>good</i> might be one and the same.paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-80296620909513225482014-02-26T10:16:00.000-06:002014-02-26T10:16:17.066-06:00Non-believers and Believers"There are two ways to slice easily through life--to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking." Linguist Alfred Korzybski, quoted in the Associated Press. From: The Week, February 28, 2014<br />
........................<br />
Some of us can never be "believers". And others can "'never not' be believers". ... On the other hand, all of us must be agnostic. We can never <u>know</u>! pbm<br />
<br />paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-12540819358058782172013-10-08T12:57:00.002-05:002013-10-08T12:57:43.033-05:00"Sleepwalking to Extinction" by Richard Smith (Adbusters # 110, Vol. 21, Number 6)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">This is a good essay! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue64/Smith64.pdf
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I hope you might find time/have
the desire to read it!</span></div>
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…………………….</div>
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“The Sky Is Falling!” for some at various points in time in
the universe(s).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be studied/analyzed/realized
through lens … of the space shuttle, … at eye level here on Earth, and … involving
micro & nano views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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On the other hand, at all of these levels in certain spatial/temporal
sectors for some species complex (ecological communities), “Life Is Good!”</div>
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……………………..</div>
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I love life!! and I especially love it on a day like today here
in “Clean” Seguin when we have a grandkid (or grandkids/kids/friends) over and
it’s a cool fall day after recent rain<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I’m listening to John Prine singing “You
Got Gold”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcZsgEbEbNs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcZsgEbEbNs</a>
(or even some “Humans Ain’t Human”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB2E6RX7W44">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB2E6RX7W44</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>) on KNBT 92.1 New Braunfels.</div>
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…………………….</div>
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I do think biochar, photovoltaic systems, conventional
organic food production, high tech, etc., etc. are not moving us much toward
community resilience & sustainability (I’m going to post some Martin-“poetry”—below--on
this.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, what makes
more sense is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>planned controlled grazing,
passive solar designs of buildings, lowering consumption, low/appropriate
technology, and building of small schools in concert with the Land/Nature and
with positively ethical applied community ecology across the curricula and
campuses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do recognize that I haven’t done much of significance in
my ca. 67 years of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But “We Are <u>All</u>
Sinners!” and can do better<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… and “Today
Is the First Day of the Rest of My Life!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(And efforts toward smaller schools and ecology across
curricula/campuses is where we should be expending much of our energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_schools_movement">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_schools_movement</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.ecoliteracy.org/change/greening-campus">http://www.ecoliteracy.org/change/greening-campus</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>)</div>
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…………………..</div>
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Headed to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Farm </i>in
Stockdale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pbm</div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Enrolada</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">*</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Jan 2007 (pbm)</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Depression and Pinchot-wired parents taught
us to conserve.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">2007 Chosen People-fundamentalist preachers impel us to grab and
rule the all that WE MOST CERTAINLY deserve.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Humility, frugality used to be preached
in the churches.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="ES" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: ES;">America First!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>War!! <u>Estados Unidos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sempre
precisa ganhar</u>! …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">And the ship
of state lurches.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, Bill
Gates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power reigns.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Others squalid in big city/rural
remains.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">So green! So
green! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new gas-electric hybrid auto and a <u>muito <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>verde</u> LEED home built <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for only </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> 200, 000 times what half the
individuals in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the world make in a year.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“Organicissimo!!
Organicissimo!!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this certified pesticide-free
apple sent from New Zealand
for our fresh fruit Texas
party of Christmas cheer.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“Environmentists”’
answer is “R enewable”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used only a half
million BTUs per capita last year of ethanol and fuel cell energy.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">… Did I
mention it cost about a million British Thermal Units of oil, gas and coal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t you love the synergy?!?!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Cars cause super-problems; we rush for
more.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">9-11!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pres says rush for the store.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Indoor pools, treadmill exercise
machines..</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Could we
become Mexican Raramuri or Kenyan Kalenjins and make the whole earth Nature’s
park,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">run </b>it in our jeans … <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and get
it back <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into concert with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our genes?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Hot outside?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn on the <u>arcondicionados</u>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep eating more gas, oil, coal fueled
potatoes.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Global warming (Climate change)? Highly
recommend moving from Barbados.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Chosen
few of the world possess Capital and are Landed,</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">While the Third
World is kwashiorkor- stranded.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">7 billion Homo sapiens—Number ONE!!!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Other top trophic species?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re certainly done!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Top
soil?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watersheds?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Diverse biotic communities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passive solar energy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who the hell has heard of “it”??</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Big screens,
NFL, NBA, empty calories—chips and beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of this is what keeps the U.S. lit.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Farm
subsidies, conservation easements, cheap energy and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>basic resources<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from abroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the Lorded Landed this spells more cash!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Certainly
can’t cap excessive income and capital gains, strive<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for real equity and equality and produce less
trash!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Trans Texas Corridors! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loops around Interstate jams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Muckity, muckity, muck, muck, muck.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ll solve it
by traversing overLand with my on-steroids Hummer, ATV, Suburban, and Big
diesel truck. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Frequent flyer miles, ecotourism, luxury
‘beachcombing”, Carnival Cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Explain for me again now those South
American <u>favela </u>blues!?!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Come to our High Schools and
Universities and learn to change the world faster.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">No matter this “serves”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to make the Natural ecosphere much<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>less of a laster.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Mold those
young uns into businessmen, corporate lawyers, sports physicians, oil field
geologists.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">But “Heaven forbid” an
environmentalist<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or world renowned
ecologist!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s the
parents’ fault, the teacher’s <u>culpa</u>, the administrators get in the way<u>;</u>
a federal problem, a local one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
village!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The individual student! …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s get more realistic!!!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s all of
these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just start somewhere and
stay<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>focused on it with lots of will and
energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get off your butt and think
holistic!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Radios, TVs,
cell phones, iPods, video games, plastics, petroleum perfumes,Taco bell food, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this dam computer screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peggy Lee cries out, “Is That All There Is?”
… <u>VIRTUAL</u> reality?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Think this is really messing with my
Natural innate<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>personality! </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Go out into the country, inner city or
even suburban streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">In this
wealthiest of nations you’ll find unattended-to obesity, high blood pressure,
diabetes, asthma, cancer, malnutrition-- to which I would attribute bad (or
lack of) local doctors, politics and economics, chambers of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>commerce, ecological ignorance and apathy,
and high fructose corn-based sweets. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Arteriosclerosis,
arthrosclerosis, hypertension, embolism, angina, arrhythmia, heart attack,
stroke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could it be our way of life??</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Perhaps we
could just slow down and do it the natural way and give (human) Nature less
strife??</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Small <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is</b> beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let them tease you!!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Big is passé
… <u>pasado</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Communidades que
pensa grandao</u> are screwed.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">War.
Basic/Airborne Ranger/Green Beret Special Forces training--into fit
muscled/artificial “Army of One”- MEN (and woMEN).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uniforms, weapons, order, brass gives us
meaning.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Could we all
do a chaotic Peace Corps thing --and rather than destroy do just cleaning?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Haifa, Chechnya,
Darfur, Cuba, the deep dark Congo.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Their notoriety?
“ Isn’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one of those where they invented
the bongo?”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">……………………</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">I’m confused!!!!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Or too much BS infused?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Got to act
local.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -.75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">I’m not just
a Seguin yokel.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -.75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">--------------------------------------------------------</span></i></div>
<br /><br />
paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-82814465130465899492013-09-23T10:12:00.001-05:002013-09-23T10:32:20.046-05:00Ecology-Across-Campuses & -Curricula<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">DRAFT</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ecology-Across-Campuses and -Curricula … and
Ecological Literacy:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Toward Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation and
Sustainable Community</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
paul b. martin,
ph.d., Marvel Maddox, & Jolly Ellis*</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Siempre Sustainable Network</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ES" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: ES;">605 Elm, Seguin, TX 78155 </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ES" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: ES;">830-372-0366 <a href="mailto:pbainmartin@gmail.com">pbainmartin@gmail.com</a></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Paper presented at the 33rd Annual Conference of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Society of Educators and Scholars</i>, Oct. 2010</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We know we are in dire straits as a
species,</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> and that we are among
associated species facing even more difficult immediate threats … such as
extinction <u>by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homo sapiens</i></u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least one billion relatively powerless humans,
and great numbers of individuals of other species, are in the midst of unprecedented
peril in this moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Therefore, we must demand that our
institutions of learning</b>--from the pre-kindergarten to post-graduate school--<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">unreservedly address the challenge: of lowering
ecological footprints and material/energy usage/”abusage” </b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">(loss of topsoil,
usable water, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>biodiversity; and
dependence on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>virtual slaves)</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the sectors of the world with power, and of
facilitating the increases in these footprints for those lacking power</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> (the objective being an average worldwide per capita
ecological footprint of ca. 5 acres and daily energy usage of ca. 60 thousand
kilocalories with a very small standard deviation.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stakeholders should be basing their decisions
on ecological principles and processes; they should be thinking critically
& creatively and acting in local & global systems with goals of banning
inequality, and enhancing conservation, resilience and sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A comprehensive and intensive plan for making
this happen through our educational systems is seriously needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Development
of ecology-across-curricula toward ecological literacy and sustainable
livelihoods and sustainable community is a moral and ethical imperative for
true scholars and educators</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Educational
systems should be a part of the solution rather than serving to increase the
social and ecological problems we all will continue to face in the future if we
do not begin to rapidly change our socio-political/economic local and global
systems.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">………………….</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">“We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the
roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we
have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we
progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the
road -- the one less traveled by -- offers our last, our only chance to reach a
destination that assures the preservation of the earth.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rachel
Carson, Ecologist</b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">_______________</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">*The junior authors are
included because their impassioned support in this effort has been and is
essential. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… However the senior author
is solely responsible for the content herein.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We of the greatest generation, baby boomers, Gen X,
Millennials, are responsible for: the devastating Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill
damage in the Gulf of Mexico, for dead zones in our bays and estuaries, e.g.,
also in the Gulf of Mexico, for the covering of precious topsoil by Texas Toll
Road SH-130, and also for the desperate condition of millions in the world who
lack even limited power and basic resources in order to live quality
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, we—the authors of
this paper--do feel we can do something about these and other problems we have
caused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, we believe it is
obvious that our educational systems must be at the forefront in providing
immediate and long-term solutions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therefore, the major points we wish to leave the reader with
after his/her digesting of this paper, are:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list .5in;">world
systems are facing local and global quality life-threatening challenges
which need immediate and very significant attention,</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list .5in;">we
have knowledge of responsible, appropriate responses to these challenges
(although we are not generally doing much about realizing these needed
actions at this time), and</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list .5in;">our
educational systems at all levels are the logical vehicles for:</li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo8; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">teaching
and molding community and society such that it yields quality life, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo8; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">developing
critical and creative thinking and ethical decision-making built on knowledge
of ecological principles and processes, and </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo8; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">motivating
communities and society at local and global levels toward conservation
and development of resilient and sustainable community involving
generalists & sustainable livelihoods.</li>
</ol>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Barriers to
Ecological Literacy</b>. In the senior author’s small rural childhood community,
children were taught about:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">“doing
to others as you would have them do unto you,”</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">natural
resource and energy conservation, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">some
basic principles & processes of ecology, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">appropriate
scale, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">being
generalists, and </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">how to
live well in a place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At home, in church, and in elementary school we received a
strong foundation of guidelines for positively ethical applied community
ecology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, the sizes of schools the
senior author attended were generally in the range <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(200-500 in elementary, middle school and high
school </span><cite><span style="color: #767676; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-01-03.pdf"><span style="font-style: normal;">www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-01-03.pdf</span></a> </span></cite><span class="f1"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and <12000 cite="" in="" universities=""><span style="color: #767676; font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.springerlink.com/index/X1505U739RR5L237.pdf"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.springerlink.com/index/X1505U739RR5L237.pdf</span></a>
</span></12000></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>)</span> which is conducive to
quality education, and there was plenty of “Natural” pasture in which to roam
and learn in a hands-on way about Nature and the Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This author almost wrote that his formative
community had lots of “Greenspace”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However
these formative years were during the long and severe drought of the 1950s in
south Texas, and the green space was very brown.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, there was an attitude of life-long
learning and of the belief that a citizen working in local community <u>could</u>
really make a difference.
<!--12--><!--12--><!--12--><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But despite this great ecological knowledge-base provided the
senior author down in South Texas in the 1950s and 60s, he <u>was</u> born the
year after WW II ended, and baby-boomers in the U.S. were experiencing an
explosion of technology--and “stuff”, of increasing numbers of automobiles,
large heat-pump air-conditioned homes, expanding exotic lawns and lawnmowers,
and energy- and material-extracting gadgets, resulting in generally rapid
conversion of Natural to Artificial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Therefore, even though <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we were
being taught</i> one system of values, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">many
sectors of society</i>—including parents and children--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were beginning</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to live</i>,
more and more, another ethos. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This consumptive system of values continues to
escalate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A consumerism mindset, which even much of China
and Mongolia now have or are rapidly getting, is terribly destructive of the
top soil, high quantity of clean water, clean air, macro and micro mineral
cycles, and robust biodiversity upon which high quality and robust life systems
depend for quality life and sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This consumerism and need for more is destroying humanity because of its
inhumaneness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We need to consume less here North of the equator (and those
with considerable power south of the equator need to do likewise).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with reduction of consumption by the
powerful, it is imperative to increase the power and consumption of the world’s
poor, undernourished and disenfranchised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Another confounding issue is “War,” and particularly <u>our</u> U.S.
military-industrial machine and all the arms it produces.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moreover, even though population growth rates are not as
serious a problem as per capita consumption by the powerful, we must continue
to curb population growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… Obviously we
would be in a better situation now if we had to deal with one to two billion
humans rather that seven, nine or 11.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
October 2010 is a time of “unprecedented” talk of education
reform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are we not hearing more
about what is fundamental to the education process and essential to critical
thinking and quality life for all, i.e., ecological literacy and ecology-across-curricula?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We think there are at least seven reasons:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. Ecological
Illiterates.</b> In 2010, most parents, teachers, administrators, education
policymakers in the U.S. do not have real knowledge of a concept of ecological
literacy (EL) and ecology-across-the-curriculum (EAC).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, their grasp of EAC and EL is
probably less than that of parent, teachers, administrators and policymakers
in, e.g., the 1930s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The senior
author’s father, who had not attended college, and mother, who only went to
school through the eighth grade, knew much more about ecological principles and
processes than most folk coming out of college in today’s world.).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A good foundational <u>knowledge in</u> <u>ecological
principles and processes is</u> <u>essential</u> to anyone even beginning
to understand socio-political/economic systems and for beginning to help
move us toward correcting them in an ethical manner, i.e., for the good of rich
or poor--including other species--and for as long as possible</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. Fear of Change.</b>
When folk do have an inkling of understanding of what might be meant by EAC,
they often generally want to avoid it at all costs (including the costs
incurred from the sacrifice of necessary ecological knowledge and actions resulting
from critical thinking which would take us toward future quality living within
this ecosphere).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The reason for this is that </b>their paychecks, interest rates and
dividends, yields from stocks and bonds, annuities, government checks,
subsidies and assistance, i.e., <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their relatively comfortable conventional
lifestyles, depend upon the bankrupt financial system and fragile
socio-economic/political structure which is perilously propped upon a deteriorating
natural resource base</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they do
not want to rock the boat! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The very powerful, in particular, are reluctant to give up
power or even use what they have in order to gain increasing power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, many of those with power threaten
those without similar power with certain job and income loss, in the event that
they, the rich and powerful, should lose their own foothold on their exorbitant
power.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. Uncompassionate
Apathy.</b> Many people do not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">de facto</i>
care much about the three billion humans who really are struggling to get by in
the world and we care even less about other species, especially if they are not
mammals or are not relatively large or not stunningly beautiful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. Sustainability Is
Difficult! (Particularly in a World of 7 Billion and Capitalism).</b> Individuals
and world systems are complex, and difficult to reprogram toward conservation
and sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, there are many
folk who settle for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">status quo</i>,
and thus there are many naysayers, cynics and con artists taking a perceived
easier path, even while their actions are nudging, shoving or leading us over
the cliff..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5. Communication
Barriers.</b> It is extremely difficult to even begin to communicate with folk who
hold a completely different system of values, especially when these values are
on a compellingly attractive and even addictive (yet unfounded)
"foundation."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. Faster Horses!
Older Whiskey! Younger “Mates”! More Money!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>W<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">e<span style="color: #000099;"> </span>generally<span style="color: #000099;"> </span>continue
to worship at the altar of growth and big, fast and noisy, and technological
and artificial, (and energetically and socio-economically/ecologically costly) …
at the expense in particular of "average" students/people.</span></b></div>
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<b>7. Problems in Knowing When the Well Really Is About
to Run Dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As human populations and
their appetites and their technology increase, the finite resources of this
finite planet are rapidly tapped into and utilized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to some extent, everything seems fine up
until the depletion of necessary resources (especially macronutrients/essential
elements & compounds) is precariously near.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is difficult to know and predict when the last amount of life-essential
resources are nearing depletion until very near the end of depletion (or near
the point where it is virtually energetically impossible to secure them in
sufficient amounts to maintain the homeostasis of life systems).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[Dr. Albert Bartlett eloquently and
thoroughly discussed this in 1978 in his “Forgotten Fundamentals of the Energy
Crisis”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><cite><span style="color: #767676; font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.npg.org/specialreports/bartlett_index.htm"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.npg.org/specialreports/bartlett_index.htm</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></cite><cite><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">]</span></cite><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Certainly there have been better analyses of barriers to
sustainability, e.g., <cite><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/61837"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/61837</span></a>
</span></cite><span class="f1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><cite><a href="http://www.viewpointlearning.com/publications/reports/BC_sustainability_0306.pdf"><span style="font-style: normal;">www.viewpointlearning.com/publications/reports/BC_</span><b><span style="font-style: normal;">sustainability</span></b><span style="font-style: normal;">_0306.pdf</span></a> </cite><cite><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">; however, the seven barriers listed are
significant.)</span></cite></div>
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<b>Ecology-Across-the-Curriculum and the Campus. </b><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Of course dealing with
challenges and surmounting barriers is what we in education are all about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, we propose that we whole-heartedly
really get to work and begin to realize EAC and EL. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now, w</span></b>hat might be some of the characteristics of school
systems with EAC which produce ecologically literate graduates? <span style="color: #0e774a; font-size: 8.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ecoliteracy.org/schools/stories/bryant-school-district">www.ecoliteracy.org/<b>schools</b>/stories/bryant-<b>school</b>-district</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://cees.columbia.edu/programs/iec">http://cees.columbia.edu/programs/iec</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/cconrad/sustainability-across-the-curriculum">www.slideshare.net/cconrad/sustainability-<b>across-the-curriculum</b></a><b>
</b></span><b><span style="color: #0e774a;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">n this section we will try to create a vision for curricula and campuses
which might be approaching EAC and effective facilitation toward EL.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">First of all the
schools would of necessity be small. </span><cite><span style="color: #767676; font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.ecobooks.com/books/smbeaut.htm"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.ecobooks.com/books/smbeaut.htm</span></a></span></cite><cite><span style="color: #767676; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span></cite><span class="f1"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(Schools should be small enough so that administrators teach.)
Pre-university educational systems would involve </span>more <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">neighborhood and rural schools (including
high schools)</b> built in concert with Nature and the Land with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">no more than 500 students</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="a1"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><a href="http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-01-03.pdf">www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-01-03.pdf</a>
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="a1"><span style="color: windowtext;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>The
landscapes of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the schools would be of
mostly native plant communities (possessing placards with species
identification/information), some agricultural production, living and
rainfall-catchment roofs, and limited vehicle parking space (encouraging
walking, bicycling, bus transport and car-pooling). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buildings would be sustainably built of mostly
local materials and would be designed and strategically placed (perhaps in earthen
embankments) for passive cooling and heating, and for comprehensive, holistic
education that is lived and breathed on the campus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food and drink—and fibers and other materials
used on campuses-- would be mostly locally produced, processed, and prepared
for consumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An individual/group walking through the campus with EAC and
teaching EL would immediately recognize humility and courtesy within the school
population, but would also note can-do attitudes indicative of leadership
schools in its citizenry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The “yes
sirs” and “no sirs”, and “thank yous” and determination to listen and learn,
which the senior author recently encountered while working with elementary
students of Jacksboro ISD, would be very apparent in the systems we envision
with EAC toward EL.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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All those involved the school system—students, staff,
faculty, administrators, school board members, the larger community—would be
knowledgeable about energy flux and material flow inputs/throughputs and
outputs for the school campuses (or at least seeking out this information) and
ecological footprints of the school and school system, and involved in changing
them for the better (effective communication, participatory/hands-on,
decentralized/site-based management, lifelong learning/critical thinking).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Various low input technologies like chalk and
blackboards and “dog run”-venturi cooling systems; “renewable” energy sources;
holistic and preventative systems of student health care; composting toilets
and simulated-wetlands sewage-treatment systems; <u>and</u> higher input
systems involving LEED certification at the highest level also need to be
considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schools would have systemic and holistic “greening of the
curricula.” <span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><a href="http://livegreenlivesmart.org/library/articles/campus_greening_movement.aspx">http://livegreenlivesmart.org/library/articles/campus_<b>greening</b>_movement.aspx</a></span><span class="a1"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the giants of the education process
(Appendix 1) as well as other components of this process, including
extracurricular activities, would be viewed through a lens of (applied) ecology
with a goal of quality life for all, including other species, for as long as
possible.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Community service learning toward conservation and
sustainability on campus and in the larger community would be a part of the
life of all students, teachers, staff and administrators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teachers, staff and administrators would live
in the neighborhoods served by the school system, and pay scales of all these
entities would be equitable and relatively equal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No employee, not even administrators, would
receive a salary which would allow him or her to exact inequitable and unjust
power over others, including other species.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of the working or conceptual models for accomplishing conservation
and sustainability to which students and other stakeholders(faculty, staff,
administrators, policymakers) would cognizant of include ecological economics (of
Herman Daly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">et a</i>l.), the sustainable
livelihoods approach of the U.K. Department of International Development ,
holistic management as promoted by Allen Savory <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">et al</i>., the Commonwealths of Ogallala Commons, and the systems
approaches of Helmut Haberl, Vaclav Smil, Cornelia Butler Flora, David Pimentel,
Wes Jackson, and Miguel Altieri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all
would read Donald Worster’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nature’s
Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas</i> and Schumacher’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Small is Beautiful</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, they would need to be familiar with
the works of Paulo Freire, Saul Alinsky, Murray Bookchin, Aldo Leopold, William
Catton, Wendell Berry, and E.O. Wilson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Of course we did leave out many classic and conventional works related
to ecology and numerous key ecologists with which school systems should already
at least be familiar.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Outcomes: Sustainable Livelihoods in a Conserving
and Sustainable Community.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
As we have indicated, the real crisis in the world is not in the <i>financial
economy</i> and its current state, … but rather, the crises in <i>Nature’s
economy</i><span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">[severe human poverty and malnutrition (and other
physical and mental/spiritual stresses on humans),</span> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">watershed disruption, top soil loss, dead zones,
desertification, loss of diversity and resilience, serious pollution, global
climate change, and other ecological problems.]</span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">. </span>Moreover, we are not providing our
children <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">(nor most of the “adults” around them)</span>
with the educational foundation for developing critical thinking and ethical
decision-making skills, particularly with regard to the serious long-term
ecological challenges.<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">(Of course in the U.S.A. there is little
immediate awareness of many of the problems in Nature's economy because we have
so much power and we suck tremendous resources from all over the world to a
relatively small population here in North America--a process which masks and
hides the really serious problems our kids and grandkids ... will have to
confront with insurmountable difficulties. Moreover, most of us live in such a
virtual and unreal reality that whole lives of relative ignorance and procrastination
are prevalent--versus what could be fulfilling and spiritually rich and active
lives of wisely dealing with real problems.)</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bottom line is that, for the most part sustainable
livelihoods do not exist in our very artificial conventional economic systems.
Our current <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">(and past)</span> economies, and
most of our livelihoods that come from these socio-political/economic systems,
are destroying soils, water, the air we breathe, and the climate which sustains
life--and these unsustainable livelihoods are doing away with the organisms and
their ecological communities with which we as humans must associate for quality
life. … They are destroying our humaneness--our humanity!<br />
<br />
As already emphasized in this paper, some of us strongly believe that we, as “educators”
and “scholars”, should earnestly and immediately begin to attempt to change
this unpleasant situation we humans are creating as a result of our development
and continued propping up/bandaiding of non-conserving and unsustainable, and
non-resilient ecological communities. In particular, we are certain that this
major shift in behavior and action must include a comprehensive and intensive
long-range planning which would involve<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">(“optimally”)</span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span>small<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">(less that a 500 student population </span><span style="color: navy; font-size: 8.0pt;"><a href="http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-01-03.pdf"><span style="color: navy;">www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-01-03.pdf</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"> )</span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span>neighborhood and rural schools—with separate elementary,
middle school and high school campuses placed side by side, but in concert with
the Land and Nature.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“To live, we must daily break
the body and shed the blood of creation. …<br />
when we do this knowingly, lovingly, skillfully, reverently, it is a sacrament;<br />
when we do it ignorantly, greedily, clumsily, destructively, it is a
desecration.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Wendell Berry,
Essayist, Poet, Farmer</span></b><b><span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An ecologically-sound school system modeled after the
guidelines discussed herein, can definitely help to realize sustainable
livelihoods for local communities and the world--livelihoods which involve some
of the following:</div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">0</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> Educated holistic and ethical decision-makers<br />
<b>0</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folk who dedicate
their lives to targeting the poor with education, knowledge, enfranchisement,
empowerment, power, and resources <br />
<b>0</b> Organic farmers who are “truly organic” in a holistic sense<br />
<b>0</b> Urban farmers and rural farmer-ranchers who produce
grass-fed and browse-fed meat animals on a small and large scale<br />
<b>0</b> Holistic low-input community gardeners<br />
<b>0</b> Health care professionals who holistically and
comprehensively practice preventative care on a local level--first and foremost!—and
curative care when needed (and who develop health care systems that
particularly target the poor)<br />
<b>0</b> Lawyers who mostly help the poor (including other species)<br />
<b>0</b> Bankers supporting microloan/microenterprise systems which
are conserving and sustainable<br />
<b>0</b> Blue collar workers who make enough for a good quality life<br />
<b>0</b> White collar workers who make enough for a good quality
life. But no more!<br />
<b>0</b> Architects who design conserving and sustainable
built-systems<br />
<b>0</b> Builders of small ecological-friendly homes<br />
<b>0</b> Constructors and maintainers of transport systems primarily
involving bicycles, trains, buses, and modern clipper ships </span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003APS..DFD.MH007D">http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003APS..DFD.MH007D</a></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<b>0</b> Seekers of low input/throughput/output systems involving
ethical use of what is truly “renewable energy”<br />
<b>0</b> Effective and efficient communicators who work in
inexpensive low input systems<br />
<b>0</b> Systems analyzers and researchers who can effectively
communicate the state of the state/the world in terms of material flow and
energy flux—inputs, throughputs, and outputs; ... also, teams producing life
cycle assessments for products/systems<br />
<b>0</b> Scientists who truly seek knowledge <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs</i>. technicians and technologists who attempt to bring the
Land/Nature “to its knees” in service to humans<br />
<b>0 </b>Guardians of diverse native living communities of organisms
(including in bays and estuaries); ample amounts of good clean water and air;
rich, deep, living top soils; and ethical use of energy<br />
<b>0</b> Ethical naturalists<br />
<b>0</b> Readers who seek socio-political/economic (<b>ecological</b>)
knowledge about how to live well in a place<br />
<b>0</b> Human cultures who respect other human cultures, traditions
and rituals<br />
<b>0 </b>A human culture that respects the Nature, the Land<br />
<b>0</b> Ecological historians<br />
<b>0 </b>Local, homegrown entertainers who are relatively “low
input”/”low maintenance”<br />
<b>0</b> Everyone actively participating in local low maintenance
sports and entertainment<br />
<b>0</b> Politicians and bureaucrats/policy-makers at all levels who
work intelligently and prudently to facilitate change toward “conservation and
development of sustainable community”<br />
<b>0</b> Teachers of reading, writing and arithmetic who live where
they teach and are striving to meet our local and global challenges within a
holistic, participatory/hands-on, site-based curriculum of applied ecology<br />
<b>0</b> <b>True Peacemakers / Poets / Artists</b><br />
<b>0 </b>Folk in all disciplines and roles in life who are <b>P</b>ositively
<b>E</b>thical <b>A</b>pplied <b>C</b>ommunity <b>E</b>cologists
and who live light on the Land<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><br />
School systems which lead to sustainable livelihoods—and more generalists
who know much about the whole <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs.</i>
specialists who know more & more about less & less--can help us in our
journey toward conservation and development of resilient and sustainable
communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Conclusions.</b><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The senior author has no doubt that if we
opt to continue to only band-aid and patch up the current system, and if we
continue to use the old socio-political/economic models to accumulate capital,
… that in his specific case, he, his children and his grandchildren would
continue to do well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have and
probably will continue to have the power, know-how, social and financial
capital and leverage to continue to have a good life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But we do have serious concerns about the more long-term future of
humanity, and we particularly worry about those humans and other species that
lack sufficient power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And although we
have not really focused on or adequately discussed many of the various more
specific socially and culturally destructive aspects and negative consequences
of our inequitable local and global power structure in this paper up to this
point, we do particularly have concerns, compassion, and empathy for:</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">the well over three
billion humans who will continue to lack adequate power in order to
realize quality life and the increasing detrimental effect deteriorating
resources will have on them,</span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">those in community
who have been devastated by our state, national and international drug
policies,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">the millions who are
in prison, and have quality life denied to them (attempting to sweep them
under the rug through incarceration and even capital punishment <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs.</i> their being in a society and
world that really cares and works toward rehabilitation and getting to the
root of our social problems),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">undocumented workers
who do not openly receive the wages and services they deserve, nor the
compassion and respect they should receive, and </span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">the millions
devastated by War, preemptive strikes, military nation-destruction, and
related chaos.</span></b></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Positively ethical applied ecologists coming out of our school systems will
actively work in a collaborative and intelligent fashion to resolve this horrific
lack of humaneness in today’s ecosphere. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The argument is oftentimes over whether is the cup half full
or half empty with respect to dealing with our socio-political/economic (ecological)
challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But does it really matter? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It most certainly is emptying at unprecedented global scale
and at a rate we have never before experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is time we began working together in a transdisciplinary manner to
educate across the curriculum toward ecological literacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is immoral and unethical to do otherwise.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
……………………………………….</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Appendix 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b>Giants
of the Education Process</div>
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_____________________________________________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Communication</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> [Language(s), <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MATHEMATICS</b>, Computer Science]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt;">ART<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kinesiology/SPORTS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>POLITICS </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">[Law, Military Science, …]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Philosophy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> / </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Religion [Ethics, Morals, Values, Mores]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Physics </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">[Energetics]</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Economics [Money,
Marketing, Management, Accounting]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt;">ECOLOGY </span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">[Chemistry, Biology<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>(Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry)], </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>Geography,
Social Studies-</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anthropology</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt;">________________________________________________</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Appendix 2</span></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A Panel Discussion realized at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Siempre
Sustainable Network’s</i> Monthly Meeting, November, 2009</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Questions
for the Panel of Experts in the Field of Education.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> I am certain each and
every one of the panel members feels strongly that there is much room for
improvement in our public schools. However, differences arise when we begin to
discuss what?, where?, when? and <b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">how?</span></b>
we need to go about realizing improvement. The questions listed below will
hopefully provide some initial insight into how this community and others might
move forward toward providing sustainable livelihoods and quality life for all—locally
and globally:<br />
<br />
Briefly tell the audience what the term “quality life in community” means to
you?<span style="color: #000066;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_life"><span style="color: #000066;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_life</span></a></span><span style="color: #000066;"><br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">What is education for?</span></b><span style="color: #000066;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC27/Orr.htm"><span style="color: #000066;">www.context.org/ICLIB/IC27/Orr.htm</span></a></span><span style="color: #000066;"><br />
<br />
</span>What is the most important change we can make in our public schools in
order to realize quality life locally and worldwide for as many folk as
possible, and for as long as possible?<br />
<br />
What are your thoughts concerning ecological literacy<span style="color: #000066;">
</span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_literacy"><span style="color: #000066;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_literacy</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #000066;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_economics"><span style="color: #000066;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_economics</span></a></span><span style="color: #000066;"> </span>and the importance of such?<br />
<span style="color: #000066;"><br />
</span>Discuss the importance of keeping schools small, “neighborly” and
rural—and in concert with the environment.<br />
<br />
Discuss the role of schools in community and the <b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">need for schools to be “truly Green”</span></b>
holistically, and in concert with the local ecological community of diverse
organisms?<br />
<br />
Do you believe a “<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">charter
school</span></b>”-initiative targeting low-income families and involving
a small middle-school student population--and an ecologically-sound, socially
just and humane mindset--might be effective in improving our public school
system<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">?</span></b> Could
you actively support a charter school in your current situation, i.e.,
primarily in an advisory capacity and through possible collaboration with
institutions/entities you represent?<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">What are some other
suggestions for moving us toward:</span></b><b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">· ecological literacy?</span></b><br />
</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">·
sustainable livelihoods?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">· and communities which are
socially just and humane, and ecologically-sound?</span></b></span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Appendix 3</span></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Proposed Sustainability Course for Texas Lutheran University</div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Realizing Sustainability and Sustainable Livelihoods: Quality Life Locally and Globally/Helping the
Powerless with a Hands-up & Protecting Nature</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">paul b. martin</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[“Team taught” with key
members from all sectors of community, including TLU]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Billions
of powerless, disenfranchised people in the world have little hope for quality
life and living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, “Nature” is
currently being destroyed locally and globally at unprecedented rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This course will investigate ways to better:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">realize locally and
globally our power to know, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">spread real/active
compassion, and </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">take action
judiciously toward conservation and sustainable/resilient community and
sustainable livelihoods … </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">while
recognizing our insignificance and ignorance, and a need for humility and light
ecological footprints.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This
course will require active hands-on involvement of the student in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">understanding</i> local community and global
influences as well as involvement in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">developing
policy and actions</i> (including within the university) providing a
knowledge base for: </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">revealing truly
important questions, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">initiating and
developing processes which might lead us to more
conserving/resilient/sustainable communities, and</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">ways to shift the
structure and actions of power toward realizing the development of a
sustainable knowledge base, revealing real problems, and sustainable
community/livelihoods.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Quality Life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(First 2 wks)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
is Life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biology basics?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
is Nature?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
do we mean by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quality Life</i>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
determines peace of mind/happiness?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sense
of place/community?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Describe this for your
community/place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early one morning feed &
prudently/humbly/respectfully interact with day laborers on Kingsbury St.—after
cking with City/County officials concerning related ordinances/Health rules
& regs]</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Critical Thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(2 wks)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ecological
processes and principles?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Key
steps to critical thinking?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Facilitating
creative/critical thinking?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Work on
addressing/”solving” a major ecological challenge in Seguin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Watershed challenges; appropriate water
quantity/quality; droughts and floods??)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Invite Debbie Magin and/or Cinde Thomas-Jimenez, GBRA for
presentation/interaction.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(“Green”/sustainable
housing for the poor. )<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deal with this
holistically by bringing in the poorest of Seguin’s population, folk involved
in implementing stimulus package retrofitting-projects/programs, Guadalupe
County Appraisal District, etc.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shouldn’t all Texans be
vegetarians?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Morally & ethically)]</span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(2 wks)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“End of</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nature”</i>--and do
humans need “Nature”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ecosystem
blocks—Energy flux, mineral cycles, hydrological cycle, dynamic ecological
communities</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">History
of concept of sustainability and “appropriate” technology/actions/processes?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Energetics and ecological
footprints?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Rees, Wackernagel, Haberl;
WWF Living Planet Report)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ecological
soundness?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Socio-political/economic
(ecological) justice?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Humaneness?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Resilience?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sustainability
indicators?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
is education for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(David Orr, Oberlin
College)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[What is the EF of an
average student, staffperson, faculty member, administrator?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does going “Green” mean being sustainable as
an individual/community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>State of TLU
(Sustainability initiatives/projects/programs on campus).]</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Local Challenges to
Resilience/Sustainability</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1 wk)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Literacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ecological literacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Education toward/for
sustainability/sustainable livelihoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Small neighborhood/rural schools in concert with Nature?)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Relative
poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inequity/inequality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Substance
abuse in all socio-economic sectors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Health issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obesity, diabetes, cardio-vascular problems,
respiratory challenges, HIV/AIDS, cancer, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Health care access.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Appropriate
housing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Transport/bike-walking
lanes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Water/energy/food/fiber/green
space-wilderness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Trash/pollution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Socio-political
structure/processes including bureaucracy, large and small business, role of
churches, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Sustainable Livelihoods,
Ogallala Commons, Holistic Management International, Cornelia Butler Flora,
ecological economics (Herman Daly, E.F.Schumacher, Robert Constanza, H.T. Odum,
John Ikerd, David Pimentel, …) approaches to address these challenges.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Local vs. global.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Low input/throughput/output vs. high.
“Renewable” energy.]</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Global Challenges to
Resilience/Sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(1 wk)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Global
climate change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Energy (“renewables”,
fossil, nuclear)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Food/agriculture/organic
agriculture/sustainable agriculture/agroecology.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Water.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Species
extinction/loss of diversity. Green space-wilderness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Trash/pollution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Health
care systems.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Socio-political
structure/processes including bureaucracy, corporations, religion, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Cap and
trade/taxing/education/remediation/etc. efforts to address global climate
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>International governmental, NGO
efforts at address resilience/sustainability issues.]</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Systemic Change toward
Conservation and Development of Sustainable Community</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Remainder of time minus last week of
classes)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Short-term
and long-term actions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sustainable livelihoods
approach; ecological economics; conservation and development of sustainable
community; positively ethical applied community ecology; commonwealths;
traditional/sustainable/organic agriculture; natural systems agriculture;
holistic management</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">General
steps</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Historical roots of
sustainability in region</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Rapid
appraisal/Assessment of natural resources and quality life</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Definition of
workable community boundaries (w/ consideration for migratory trends of
populations</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Team-building/leadership
development</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Goal-setting, policy,
action plan development</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Testing of action
plan</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Financing strategic
actions</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Measuring for
sustainability, analyzing, evaluating, replanning</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Continuing (quality)
education for all</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Effecting change in your
university?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will we begin to better
realize “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ecology across the curriculum</i>”
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ecological literacy</i>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Realizing change in
community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Obtaining
real/robust/dynamic participation from the poor/powerless/disenfranchised.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Local/regional/state/national/international
policy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Meetings with “movers
& shakers” at TLU.]</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Making This Course
Obsolete--and Having a Natural University of Sustainability that Graduates
Students with Sustainable Livelihoods?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(Last wk)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Evening
round table discussion with members of TLU administration, faculty, support,
parents/family of students, larger community.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Assessment:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Portfolio
“graded” through rubric twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Mid-term and final essay
exam.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Service learning
required.</span></div>
paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-29775977349144667492013-07-08T15:45:00.000-05:002013-07-08T15:47:26.135-05:00This Is the Way It Is!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I do hope y’all might thoroughly <u>read, digest and reflect
on</u>:</b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Science, energy,
ethics, and civilization</i>” by Vaclav Smil<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="http://www.vaclavsmil.com/wp-content/uploads/docs/smil-articles-science-energy-ethics-civilization.pdf">http://www.vaclavsmil.com/wp-content/uploads/docs/smil-articles-science-energy-ethics-civilization.pdf</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This is a sobering, no-nonsense,
easy-to-read chapter/paper … based on real science and written by a
hard-working, straight-shooting intellectual of integrity.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
…………………….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d love it if
you do the same with the piece below<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>even though it was produced
with much less intellect, research and discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This is a paper<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="a"><a href="http://www.ucdb.br/coloquio/arquivos/Paul.pdf"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">www.ucdb.br/coloquio/arquivos/Paul.pdf</span></a></span>
I gave at a “Local Development”/Geography Symposium at a Catholic University,
Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul in 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The actual presentation, &
PowerPoint (in Portuguese), had considerable focus on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sufficient</i> use of currently available “appropriate” technologies <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs</i>. our crazy chasing after and
developing more and more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">efficient</i>
technologies (a largely “inappropriate” process).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The presentation seemed to be a hit with my
fellow panelists and the audience, particularly a systems ecologist from France
and an agricultural economist from Cuba.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
pbm </div>
***************************************</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>
</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>TOWARD CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY (LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY)</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Paul B. Martin*, Kevin Schantz**, Peggy Sechrist***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
*Assoc. Professor–Natural Sciences Department, St. Philip’s
College, San Antonio, TX</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
** Coordinator, Community Service Learning, St. Philip’s
College</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
*** Certified Educator, Holistic Resource Management of
Texas, Fredericksburg, TX</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Summary</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lowering human population growth and our unsustainable
consumptive processes are necessary for positively ethical applied community ecology.
In particular we need to focus on the poor with appropriate resources and
socio-political/spiritual support. Sustainable Livelihoods, Holistic Resource
Management, Natural Systems Agriculture, and Conservation and Development of
Sustainable Community seem to be front-running approaches toward achieving
sustainable Local Development in a positively ethical and ecologically-sound manner.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Key Words</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conservation, Sustainable, Community </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Introduction</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A positively ethical applied ecology approach to quality
life for as many genetically diverse species as possible for as long as
possible, involves the appropriate integration and balance of social, political
and economic sectors at the local and global level. Basic ecological principles
guide effective and ethical social values focusing on the poor with equitable
resources and sustainable livelihood policies which move us toward efficient
participation by all (individuals) of species, and ecological economic models that
include measurement and evaluation of ecological footprints/carrying capacity,
energetics, material flow (in, through, and out) of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_2"></a>communities
and human appropriated net primary productivity. And although there many
efforts that document the ecological problems caused by we of the dominant
species, systematic/scientific efforts at ecologically-sound, socially - just
and humane decision-making processes are much scarcer. In this paper we report
on: 1) significantly promising efforts at “sustainable” decision-making in
local communities, 2) some major players in these processes, and 3) our efforts
at St Philip’s College, Alamo Community College District, in the San Antonio
area of South Central Texas. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Materials and Methods</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are reporting herein on research of the literature,
searches over the Internet and from experiences in limited cultural/ecological travels to
communities, universities, experiment stations, and non-governmental organizations ... that have
spanned about 35 years. Key individuals that have influenced us in this search and our
interpretation of the results included: Miguel Angel Altieri, University of
California-Berkeley; David Orr, Oberlin College, Ohio; David Pimentel, Cornell
University; H. T. Odum, University of Florida-Gainesville; Chuck Francis,
University of Nebraska; Wendell Berry, Kentucky; Wes Jackson, The Land
Institute, Salina, Kansas; William R. Catton, Washington State University; John
Ikerd, University of Missouri; G. Tyler Miller, Jr.; James Beebe, Gonzaga
University, Spokane Washington; Helmut Haberl, Vienna, Austria; and Sergio
Ulgiati, Italy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Results and
Discussion</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Sustainable Livelihoods</u>. One of the most exciting
processes toward sustainable community currently being developed is termed sustainable
livelihoods and is being developed by the British Department for International
Development and the United Nations, among other entities. It is “a way of
thinking about the objectives, scope and priorities for development in order to
enhance progress in poverty elimination” (Anon. 1999). Core principles for this
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_3"></a>poverty-focused developmental activity are that varied
development approaches should be: 1) people – centered, 2) responsive and
participatory, 3) multi level (local with people support from higher-level
policies and institutions), 4) conducted in partnership (public and private),
5) economically, institutionally, socially and environmentally sustainable and
6) flexibly dynamic with long-term commitments. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sustainable Livelihoods uses rapid assessment techniques
(including triangulation from various methodologies to establish validity) and it is
employed within a framework of components including: a) vulnerability context, b)
livelihood assets, c) policy and d) institutions and processes livelihood
strategies and livelihood outcomes. Major principles of livelihoods analysis
are: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">identifying
and understanding the livelihoods circumstances of marginalized and
excluded groups, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">accounting
for important social divides – e.g., gender, aged groups, “race”,
cultures, etc., </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">building
upon people’s strengths and resourcefulness, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">embracing
the idea of dynamism and avoiding the taking of infrequent snap shots, and
</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">recognizing
that there is never a set recipe toward local sustainable community and
that flexibility is a key to success in reaching the poor with adequate
sustainable resources. </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Holistic Resource Management</u>. Holistic Management (HRM)
is a decision making process largely developed by a southern African,
Allan Savory and embraced by progressive members of ranching communities Savory (1999).
It employs a focused and structured guidance model, and a holistic system focusing on
major ecosystem components, management tools, testing and management
guidelines, and planning procedures. Initially the community whole under
management is established along with a holistic goal that has three <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_4"></a>parts:
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">quality
of life desired, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">production
needed in order to</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">sustain
this quality of life, and </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">a
description of the resource base (landscape/Land) needed for far into the
future. </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Emphasis is on ecosystem processes of energy flux,
hydrological and mineral cycles, and succession – and rest, fire, and
organismal and technological tools to manage them. In deciding which tools to
use and how, HRM uses “conventional” testing guides -- and more novel
management guidelines. Finally, HRM emphasizes total local community
involvement of a continuous process of “planning –monitoring – controlling –
and re-planning”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HRM seems to be one of the more palatable, digestible,
usable and doable decision -making processes for sustainable local communities
that is available. As alluded to earlier, its usage is primarily spreading
through ranching and agricultural communities. Nevertheless, it has tremendous
utility in helping all local communities move toward sustainability. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Natural Systems Agriculture</u>. The mission of the Land
Institute in Salina, Kansas has been to honor natural systems and mimic them to some degree.
One of the reasons for their driving efforts though an ecological paradigm is a
core belief that if we fail in achieving sustainability in agricultural
systems, then it will not happen anywhere. Moreover, agriculture is
fundamentally ecological, and it has as a basis the science of ecology, which
is devoted to learning more about how ecosystems work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The research of the Land Institute uses nature as the
measure to develop mixed perennial grain/legume/oil crops. Its Natural Systems
Agriculture, research and outreach efforts truly employ an ecological economic
approach that should have positive socio-political impact on local communities.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Conservation and Development Of Sustainable Community</u>.
The Bruntland (1987) Commission adopted sustainable development as a major
positively ethical applied ecology concept in its report Our Common Future. As
defined in this monumental report, development is <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_5"></a>sustainable if
it “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generation to meet their own needs.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Others and we have tweaked, molded and modified this concept
and use the phrase “Conservation and Development of Sustainable Community”
(CDSC). We feel that relatively sustainable (though dynamic) communities should
perhaps involve relatively low inputs of fossil energy--that are well-planned
and viewed as supplemental or augmentative to “current” solar energy inputs
(e.g., those captured by productive climax /fire-climax grassland/ savannah
communities of a region like South Central Texas). Moreover, these relatively
sustainable communities should have a goal of long-term quality of life for all
people and should include community programs involving--balanced education,
leadership development, empowerment and inoculative financial assistance. These
community assistance programs should especially focus on individuals and groups
with limited resources. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the better definitions concerned with CDSC describes
a sustainable community as one that can evolve indefinitely toward greater
human utility (including reference to students, family, teachers, support/
maintenance staff, administrators, information “diffusers,” curriculum
developers, researchers, policy-makers, etc.—as a whole), greater efficiency of
resource use (e.g., South/Central Texas savannah or the Cerrado), and a balance
with the environment that is favorable to humans and most other species
(Harwood 1990) The beauty of this definition is that, practically no one can be
against CDSC in an abstract form that includes conserving valuable resources
and allowing lasting development toward quality of life for all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is also useful to think of CDSC as a process of
communicating, learning, and beginning to effectively apply that knowledge (the most difficult
part)– and of building toward sustainable communities in the broadest sense.
Effective discussion and subsequent understanding of the concept and proposed
practice of CDSC by educators and others would ultimately demonstrate <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_6"></a>to them that CDSC
is familiar and perhaps even friendly to the education community. For instance,
“holistic participation and ownership” are key components of CDSC as is the
case with an effective educational process.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CDSC can be considered a composite of ecological, economic,
sociological, and political spheres -held together in varying degrees by energy
influx and ethical behavior in communities.
With reference to a common goal of sustainability, weak areas/links in
these spheres seem to be: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">a lack
of comprehensive/intensive education in ecology, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">the
absence of adequate economic measurements of sustainability (perhaps they
are available, but they are not effectively employed), </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">a
tendency or prevalent attitude of squandering of fossil energy, and </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">the
ineffective sharing in: effective grassroots-participation,
decentralization/site-based management, long-term policy making
consensus-building, and values-sensitization. </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Related programs that have been developed challenge
communities to:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(1) get involved in the process of CDSC–ecologically and
economically of course, but also in a socio-political sense – at the local
community level, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(2) focus on the poor in policy-making, research, extension,
production effort, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(3) question the short-term, inadequate economic
measurements we often make in our development efforts and become knowledgeable
about and participate in the efforts towards ecological economics, and </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(4) strive to develop institutions in a way that will
sustainably move us toward CDSC <i>vs</i>.
inordinate exploitation of our human and other natural resources. The CDSC
process is not intended to make anyone in community feel guilty, but rather
intended to stimulate thoughtful, meaningful, productive (long-term)
dialogue–including “with self”, to educate, and to enable (empower), and to
mobilize effective applied ecologists into their local community. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Applied Ecology Activities at St. Philip’s College</u>. There is an admirable and ambitious effort at
St. Philip’s College–and in the Alamo Community College District San Antonio,
Texas <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_7"></a>as a whole–toward addressing global issues in a locally
sustainable fashion. These are necessarily connected to our Environmental
Science Program, a Mitchell Lake Project (a core component focusing on a “<i>Pantanal</i> microcosm”-wildlife refuge
maintained with treated sewage effluent), community service learning, Honors
Program, and everything we do to create more transdisciplinary generalists who
are connecting with local people in other parts of the world through middle
schools, <i>4-H</i>, etc., etc. and addressing the needs of ALL life–present and future. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
St. Philip’s College interprets global education as a
lifelong growth in understanding–through study, analyses, and participation–of
the world community and the interdependency of its peoples and
systems–ecological, social, economic, and technological. Therefore a globally
competent student has knowledge of world’s history and events, understands
global environmental, political, and economic responsibility and
interconnectedness, is able to effectively communicate cross-culturally,
understands differences and similarities of trans-cultural human experiences
and respects Local Development, and is able to use computer and
telecommunications technology effectively. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems that we are also beginning to recognize a need to
make more ethically globalized holistic applied ecologists who: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. recognize that “all education is environmental education”
(Orr 1992) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. are well-rounded (liberal arts graduates?) “Renaissance persons”/generalists/<wbr></wbr>transdisciplinarians,
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. are well-versed in the principles and processes of
ecology, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. use a holistic process employing energetics and system
models for decision-making, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_8"></a>5. can communicate effectively (languages,
mathematics, computer, etc.) and are willing to learn new languages,
traditions, and customs, and try to understand all other cultures, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. work hard at getting participation by the poor in
decision-making processes, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7. are open-minded, humble persons who act tentatively and
cautiously–yet when </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(deemed) necessary can take quick, decisive action, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. are prudent risk-takers, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. consume relatively little and tread lightly on the Land, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10. are tolerant and compassionate and respectful–except
against thoughtless </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
destroyers of our resource of our resource base/”nature”, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11. think and act globally and locally and </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12. are skeptical. (They question new
technologies/management systems.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to the problem of the fast pace and clutter of
current socio-political/economic systems, four characteristics of current society that hinder
development of globalized learners at St. Philip’s College (and at similar
institutions all over the world): </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">our
limited knowledge of nature and ignorance of ecological principles/processes,
</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">a
blind faith in the current socio-economic/political systems which
perpetuates status quo <i>vs</i>. a
change toward conservation and development of sustainable community, </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">rampant
greed, and </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">the uncontrolled
hubris in those who have power–(existing to the point that they would
hardly take the time to read and reflect on words such as those written
herein). </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_9"></a>Globalized students would be involved in a
process to clean up the pollution and stop: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- the spreading desertification as a result of the agricultural/industrial
revolution,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- the mass production and usage of the artificial biocides
of the chemical age,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- the energy demands and clutter (“entropy”) of the information
(computer) age, and </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- the myopia within biotechnology. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>CONCLUSION </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The recognition of innumerable socio-political/economic and
environmental (ecological) problems in the ecosphere have resulted in numerous
responses attempting to stave off these problems. Herein we have discussed a
few initiatives that we believe might be particularly promising to pursue in
the effort to make local development sustainable -- ecologically – sound,
socially just and humane. The senior author is not as impressed by or excited
about some efforts which have received considerable press and publicity and/or
have developed a cadre of followers or practitioners, such as permaculture, organic
agriculture and sustainable agriculture. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, even though these movements mentioned last in the
previous paragraph, may be culturally myopic, high-input and exploitive of natural
and human resources and/or co-opted by conventional extractive economies --
when used with the mindsets and guidelines of Sustainable Livelihoods, Holistic
Resource Management, Natural Systems Agriculture, and Conservation and
Development of Sustainable Community, these aforementioned approaches can offer
exciting and very useful appropriate technologies and paths toward sustainability.
We do have hope that the major decision-making and policy-setting processes and
calls-to action discussed herein will result in an increased slow-down in human
population growth and rampant per capita consumption by the “developed” world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_10"></a>References </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abel, A. P. Prather and P.B.
Martin. 1992. Sustainable agriculture and immigrant farmworkers. J. Sustainable
Agriculture. 3 (1). 99-106 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anon. 2000. The State of the
Nation’s Ecosystems: Measuring the Lands, Waters and Living Resources of the
United States. The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the
Environment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 270 pp. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anon. 2002. Fatal Harvest:
The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture. Foundation for Deep </div>
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Ecology/Island Press. 384 pp.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anon. 2003. Livelihoods
connect: creating Sustainable Livelihoods to eliminate poverty. </div>
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<a href="http://www.livelihoods.org/" target="_blank">http://www.livelihoods.org/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anon. 2003. The Land
Institute. <a href="http://www.landinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.landinstitute.org/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beebe, J. 2001. Rapid
Assessment Process: An Introduction. AltaMira Press, NY. 199 pp. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Berry, W. 2002. Hope in Fatal
Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture. Foundation for Deep
Ecology/Island Press. pp. 373-4. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Berry, W. 2002. The Art of
Common Place. Counterpoint, Washington, D.C. 327 pp. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bruntland, G. H. 1987. Our
Common Future: The World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford
Univ. Press, Oxford, Great Britain. 400 pp. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="13fbfdad5b9242de_11"></a>Catton, W. R.,
Jr. 1982. Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change. Univ. of
Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harwood, R.R. 1990. A history
of sustainable agriculture. In C.A. Edwards <i>et
al.</i> Sustainable Agricultural Systems. Soil and Water Conservation Society,
Ankeny, IA. Pp. 3-19. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Martin, P.B. 1996. Working
toward better community. Holistic Resource Management of Texas Newsletter, Fall
1996. p.5. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Martin, P.B. Prather. 1991.
Toward a sustainable agriculture for quality life and protection of the natural
resource base. Proc. 2<sup>nd</sup> conf. on Agroforestry in North America. p.
351-63. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Marzetti, Gail. 2001.
Brazilianizing the SL Approach. <a href="http://www.livelihoods.org/post/Docs/Brazil.rtf" target="_blank">www.livelihoods.org/post/<wbr></wbr>Docs/Brazil.rtf</a>
7pp. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miller, G. T., Jr. 1990.
Resource Conservation and Management. Wadsworth Publishing Co., Belmont, CA.
546 pp. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Odum, H. T. and E. C. Odum.
2001. A Prosperous Way Down: Principles and Policies. Univ. Press of Colorado,
Boulder, CO. 326 pp. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Orr, D. 1992. What is
education for? Earth Ethics. 3 (3): 1-5. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Savory, A. 1999. Holistic
Management, 2<sup>nd</sup> Ed. Island Press, Washington, D.C. 616 pp. </div>
paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-9772567735023799132013-03-16T14:57:00.002-05:002013-03-16T15:15:38.138-05:00Texas is at a crossroadsA new initiative is launched to turn Texas from red to blue. The following was found on the Battleground Texas website:<br />
<br />
"The Lone Star State is changing – and with its size and diversity, our state should be a place where all elections – from local elections all the way up to the President of United States are hotly contested. <br />
To do that, we need Texans in every corner of the state – from Amarillo to Brownsville and El Paso to Beaumont – to stand up and say that they’re tired of not being heard, tired of not being represented in Austin and in Washington, DC, and tired of the same Republican playbook which is failing our communities and ignoring the needs of countless Texans.<br />
Change will take time – but together we can make Texas a part of the national discussion.<br />
Grassroots voices are changing this country on a scale that was unheard of just a few years ago. <br />
Over the next several years, Battleground Texas will focus on expanding the electorate by registering more voters – and, as importantly, mobilizing those Texans who are already registered but who have not been engaged in the democratic process. And we’ll use the data-driven, people-focused approach that has helped win grassroots campaigns around the country.<br />
From top to bottom of the ballot – we can change the face of Texas politics together.<br />
Battleground Texas is a local effort with national implications.<br />
Texans are carrying this movement and its success could change the face of presidential politics in this country as we know it. With 38 electoral votes at stake, a blue Texas would be a surefire road to the White House.<br />
Change does not come easy, but taking the harder road for a better future is what our state is all about.<br />
Texans are ready.<br />
Our organizing strategies will work in Texas.<br />
Battleground Texas will be a people based, metrics driven organization that is dedicated to the idea that volunteers, in their neighborhoods, can and do significantly impact local, state and national elections. <br />
As a people based organization, we are focused on leadership development, training and empowerment. We work with volunteer leaders to ensure they have all the skills they need to successfully recruit new volunteers and register, persuade and turnout voters. <br />
As a metrics driven organization, we understand the importance of accountability. We regularly measure our progress and hold ourselves to the goals we set. We also use data extensively to ensure our programs are having an impact."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.battlegroundtexas.com/">www.battlegroundtexas.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.texastribune.org/2013/03/15/texas-democrats-dreaming-wild-blue-yonder/">http://www.texastribune.org/2013/03/15/texas-democrats-dreaming-wild-blue-yonder/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.texastribune.org/2013/03/15/jeremy-bird-tt-interview/">http://www.texastribune.org/2013/03/15/jeremy-bird-tt-interview/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-41315281574760297222013-03-03T13:44:00.000-06:002013-03-03T13:46:26.218-06:00Wonderful Work by "Dos Pueblos" in Nicaragua<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">A Great Sense of Community in Tipitapa and
Environs</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Dos Pueblos-Tipitapa/NY</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Feb 17, 2013</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">paul b. martin, ph.d.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">¡</span></i><span class="hps"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Bienvenido a</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> <span class="hps">Tipitapa a la</span> <span class="hps">delegación
de jóvenes</span> <span class="hps">de</span> <span class="hps">Dos Pueblos</span>!</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">A January 2013 delegation
trip to the Tipitapa area of Nicaragua was well-organized with excellent
representation from the communities in and around Tipitapa and New York, and with
a good mix of structure and free-rein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were well-informed orally and through a handy folder* about the people,
projects, communities, and areas we were visiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Events always began on time and had solid
meaty participation from Nicaraguan and North American representatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our leader, Executive Director Lupe Ramsey
was always calm and in control and Program Development Manager Helen Shannon
was a great go-to person for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I was struck by the sincerity, integrity and realness in all the
participants and participant communities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Highlights for me
were:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">A very productive community meeting with
heart-felt, truly informative presentations by ca. 11 new water committees
on a lovely Sunday in Chiamaltillo.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The warmth of so many of the people of
Nicaragua with whom we worked!</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Seeing first hand the productive potable
water wells whose development, protection, and maintenance was facilitated
by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos Pueblos</i>.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Interacting with youth who dug up
doodle bugs/antlions for me, and taught me their local Spanish name, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chanchito</i>. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Experiencing beautiful Nature out in
the countryside.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Witnessing the expression of support
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos Pueblos</i> by Tipitapa
Mayor <span class="st">César Vásquez</span>, Hospital Administration, MINSA
representatives and numerous other dignitaries.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Building the adaptive-designed
structures together as a community; facilitating the insect ecology
activity.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Director Lupe’s ribbing me about
talking too much.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">La
comida muy deliciosa</span></i><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> prepared
by Luis Alberto Areas at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entre Rios</i>.
</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Sharing good food with new friends and
having great discussions before and after meals!</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Talking about cattle and animal
husbandry with Dolkar.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Learning about local fruit plants from
Andres and Elmer.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Listening to the life stories of
David, Steve, Dr. Amy, Sarah, Helen and Director Lupe.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The wonderful staff of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hoteles Entre Rios</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">y</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Con Corazon</i>.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Visiting with artists.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Luis’ maintenance man’s professional
preparation of handles for my insect sweep nets.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Having Adriana, one of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arco Iris</i> team members complement
me on the insect ecology presentation, and bid me <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">despedida</i>.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Hearing Rosa Lilliam requesting that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">el Tejano</i>” return someday.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Dos Pueblos</span></i><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> and collaborating entities are functioning
well at the community level with excellent community organizers … (1) to
provide stop-gap and long-term solutions to:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">quality water needs, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">basic health care (including
maintenance of a health center and development of a birthing center) and low-cost
physical therapy aids (from scrap cardboard),</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">solid supplemental/continuing
education for youth (including the maintenance of a library) and adults, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">community gardens and good nutrition,
and </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">low-cost transportation/bicycle needs
(in collaboration with Wisconsin Partners), </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">as well as (2) to
facilitate the microfinancing of clothes-sewing enterprises and other women’s
businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our delegation’s week-long involvement
in the efforts of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos Pueblos</i> indicates
that this wonderful Nicaraguan-New York collaboration should continue in its
notable work in facilitating the process of accessing potable water for the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">colonias”</i> around Tipitapa and continue working
with these local communities, leaders, and local government toward enhancing the
physical, economic, spiritual, and ecological wellness of their citizens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">I like what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos Pueblos</i> is accomplishing, the way it
is doing it, … and I love the people who involved in its efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, my family and I will continue to
support Dos Pueblos and be involved in its activities in Nicaragua, … and in
New York and in other parts of the world in any way we are able.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">…………………………….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">What is wonderful
about life are people<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people like lovely community organizer Rosa
Lilliam Gomez, Marina Garcia Hortado, Estella, Elena, Karen, Jonathan, Elmer,
Andres, Dolkar, Marcia, Lidia, Esmeralda, Alvaro, Herman, Maritza, Noemi, Dennis,
and artist Miguel Angel Abarca … and other Nicaraguans who empowered us,
educated us, and gave us energy and love during our visits to communities
around Tipitapa, Nicaragua.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And people from
New York like Director Lupe, Polyglot Helen, Principal Steve, Special-Educator
Sarah, Historian (Inquisitive) David, and Community-Health-Physician Amy from
New York, all who were also enabling, informative, invigorating, and
warm-hearted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we saw was real
people with an attitude of “<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sí, se
puede</span></i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yo, s<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">í</span> puedo</i>”,
who may be facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, but who are happily
living life to the fullest extent possible in the moment, but also working hard,
and attempting to do so smartly, in order to make life better and of higher
quality in the near and more distant future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moreover, what was particularly rewarding for all, is that they make
life richer for us all—in the moment and into the future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">What <u>can</u> be
a drag about life are also people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some individuals and sectors in
our world systems have an inordinate amount of power which they are unwilling
to redistribute to those who barely have enough to survive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many are not willing to redistribute,
regenerate and conserve toward quality life for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Chicano humorist, Jose Burciaga states, <u>somewhat</u>
tongue in cheek, in a little essay I read while on this trip, “The great
majority of people regardless of class, color, or creed, are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pendejos</i> … .”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes it very difficult to realize
anything near universal quality life (including for other species), even when
there is an attitude of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">S<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">í, se puede”</span></i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">A significantly more
perfect world obviously does need revolution and holistic, systemic structural
change--with a very positive and powerful legacy--toward: </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">more justice, equity, and humaneness,</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ecological literacy,</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">world-wide individual, community, and ecosystem
wellness, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">sufficient land and basic resources
for all (including other species), and </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">more of us who are intimately involved
in positively ethical applied agroecology, with an emphasis on
ecology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yFvD8wuLmU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yFvD8wuLmU</a></span>
</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">I do wish for a
prosperous move up for those who suffer with an ecological footprint of less
than 1 acre and with energy consumption of less than 20,000 kilocalories per
day, and a “Prosperous Way Down” for those of us who have an ecological
footprint of over 10 acres<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and energy
consumption of more than 100,000 kilocalories/day. <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://prosperouswaydown.com/">http://prosperouswaydown.com/</a> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">In this world of
conventional capitalism, most money and power end up in the hands of relatively
few who have been fortunate to tap into the power of a corporate world,
including fossil-energy transnationals, industrial agriculture, big real estate
developers, and large banks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some how we
must work to:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">hurriedly provide for basic needs of
quality water and food, fiber and shelter to the truly poor and
disenfranchised, and </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">to get some of the economic power
transferred from the few who have so much, to the many with so little.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">To this end, in
addition to the current efforts, at some time in the more immediate future <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos Pueblos</i> might consider helping the
communities of Tipitapa to develop cultural-, agri-, and ecotourism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could perhaps result in significantly more
financial/economic power in the pockets of the members of these communities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Of course
community change toward a substantial increase in quality life and the degree
to which a community is sustainable, is generally a challenging undertaking—</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Status
quo</span></i><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> desires/attitudes/mindsets
are difficult to budge.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">A functional, comprehensive,
multifaceted and progressive education system which facilitates
realization of ecological literacy, critical and creative thinking, and
sustainable livelihoods is needed for long-lasting and significant change.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Barriers to financial and spiritual
empowerment must be removed.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Organization structures, holistic
knowledge of local/other resources which are available, goal-setting,
strategic planning, policy development, taking action, measuring,
evaluating and analyzing result and replanning are necessary.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Approaches which
seem to be successful for appropriate community change can be gleaned from
these websites: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2115">http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2115</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.ifad.org/sla/index.htm">http://www.ifad.org/sla/index.htm</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://ogallalacommons.org/">http://ogallalacommons.org/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.quiviracoalition.org/">http://www.quiviracoalition.org/</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://wholenewconcepts.com/">http://wholenewconcepts.com/</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6355092">http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6355092</a>
</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">…………………………………………………………………</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">*I particularly
appreciated the article in our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dos
Pueblos</i> trip folder which stated<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“…
I would make the case that every physician in America should be salaried,
because we have to get financial incentives out the system. …” <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/108174104/Forum-Report-Neil-Calman-4-17-12">http://www.scribd.com/doc/108174104/Forum-Report-Neil-Calman-4-17-12</a>
</span></span></div>
paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-45970924884414938312013-02-17T22:54:00.001-06:002013-02-17T22:56:28.784-06:00Cuba<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">¿</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Es
Cuba?*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">¿¿</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">O …, Es el
Mundo?? </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">(Pavel Martinka’s draft of an essay written after his
"recent" (2006) visit to Cuba:
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Stories for his children and theirs—and for others who
might significantly help </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">to change the world in which they live)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Major Impressions</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">A Model for Realizing Sustainable
Community??</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Cubans are
living a very low input life-style that is peaceful and relatively crime free,
and that has a great foundation of holistic education and adequate health care
for all--<u>and</u> that is developing urban and organic agriculture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is of course highly significant that their
premier politician has gained the honor and respect through the Revolution of
most of the Cuban population, and he does govern as a dictator and the system
is totalitarian <a href="http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=424">http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=424</a>
.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, there are well-enforced limits
to consumption, movement and development by humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I listened to my primary host (Dr. Rafael
Ojeda) in Cuba in June of 2006, walked the streets of La Habana, watched the
Cuban television channels, and participated in the meeting on Desarrollo Local,
I could not help but think that this is perhaps a type of system much of the
world may have to utilize to curb consumption, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>population growth, and anarchy in order to
achieve maximum protection of our essential natural resource base and relative
equity and justice for all, i.e. what might be called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>P</u></b>ositively <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>E</u></b>thical
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>A</u></b>pplied <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>C</u></b>ommunity <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>E</u></b>cology
(PEACE)**.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Respect for Fidel and the Revolution.</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Cubans-- … like Brazilians, Mexicans, Nicaraguans,
Poles, Ukrainians, and US citizens, ... --are beautiful and imperfect people
using a functional but imperfect socio-political/economic (ecological) system
in an attempt to achieve quality life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
huge majority of those over fifty who were the have-nots during the <span style="color: black;">Fulgencio <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Batista</span></span>
years and previous years of U.S.
colonization (the have-nots were by far the majority) have a tremendous respect
and loyalty to Fidel for all his wonderful efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Younger Cubans may have respect for and
loyalty to Fidel, but are more likely to overtly complain, to want considerably
more, and even to attempt to flee Cuba.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(For
instance, I recently had a young Cuban student, Lisette, in my biology class
who is probably in her early 20s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
credibly painted a very dark and deprived picture of her starving childhood in Cuba.)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">What Right Does the U.S. Have to Decide for and Punish
Others?!!</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">It really is
a </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“ mortal sin” (or part of our/U.S. children’s
“original sin”) to exert power over nations with economic/trade sanctions,
embargos ,<a href="http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2001/cr072601.htm">http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2001/cr072601.htm</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>, attempted assassinations and
invasions, and trumped up-charges against alleged terrorists <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.freethefive.org/">http://www.freethefive.org/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--all of which stifle charitable assistance
and serve to “ostracize” the government and people of Cuba—truly creating a
tremendous hurt to the flesh and stomachs--and hearts and souls--of millions of
innocent people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should work hard at lifting economic
sanctions against Cuba
and at serving up justice to all the Cuban people, including the Cuban Five.***</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">What We Might Do That Would Be
Positive for Both Cuba and
the U.S.?</span></u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> We could
learn from Cuba
a considerable amount about education, health care, organic and urban agriculture,
living a low-input, energy-conserving lifestyle, and dealing with crime and
terrorism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And since they are a nation
with a biocapacity – ecological footprint deficit, they could certain benefit
from some of the 33% of the world’s resources we (the U.S.) exploit and utilize (greedily--as
5% of the world’s population).</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Cuba</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> and Cuba-US Interactions Before June 2006</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Knowing Cuba
and Cubans Through Other Latin Americans: A Fortunate History of Knowing Some
Really Great People</u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></u> </b>I was born in 1946 after my father
returned as a Marine from the Pacific Front and vaguely remember President
Truman as <u>my</u> first president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
first memories of Cuba were from reading**** during my early junior high school
years about Fidel Castro<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weekly Reader</i> and in the daily <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San Antonio Express-News</i> and Sunday’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San Antonio Light </i>which were always
stashed somewhere around our home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the eighth grade and considerably later (1965-71), I heard about the fleeing of
U.S. citizens and wealthy
Cubans from Cuba.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although I have seen many documentaries of and read articles
on the CIA-supported attempt to overthrow the Castro government through the Bay
of Pigs invasion of Cuba,
I have no real memory of the “real-time-happening” of this fiasco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But of course, I do remember the Cuban
Missile Crisis, the early publicity surrounding Miami Cubans, and alleged
totalitarian atrocities by the Castro regime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And certainly more recent events including the Mariel boatlift and other
less dramatic boat travels from Cuba, various U.S skirmishes including in the
air, Pope John Paul II’s visit, the Elian Gonzalez capture and release to his
Cuban father, and drug-trafficking-, monetary accumulation- and Swiss Bank
account-allegations against the Castro Regime are clear in my mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nevertheless, my
knowledge of Cuba—a country somewhat comparable to Florida in size and
population numbers (Cuba is 44, 200 square miles in size with 11 million
people, whereas Florida is 58, 700 square miles with 16 million), and only 90
miles from that state--was very limited before my recent trip there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course in reality it still is!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though my knowledge of Cuba is sparse, my work on
farm-worker crews of Tony Cruz and Salame Gallegos involving mostly poor and
socially-suppressed Mexican-Americans (beginning in about 1957), my other farm
labor with mostly Mexican- and African-Americans, Vatican II, the Vietnam
Conflict and my Navy experience, and the socially/politically active period of
the 1960s in general, led me to want to deal effectively with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">status quo</i> socio-political/economic
injustice—and somehow overcome the powerful forces that maintain such
inequitable systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How I began to feel so strongly about a
need for socio-political/economic (and ecological) change as a male <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gringo</i> in a conservative rural community
baffles many of my friends, especially since upon leaving home in 1964, I
attended and worked for three conservative land-grant universities—one of which
had had an all-male military tradition.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">However, these
land-grant universities I attended in the 1960s and 70s did have many foreign
students from Dominican Republic
and other Caribbean Islands, from Central America, from Mexico, and from Brazil and other South American
countries</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gravitated to these
Latinos/African-Americans and through these interactions in the 1960s and 70s—and
through later studies and travels stimulated by these 60s and 70s interactions,
I learned considerably more about Fulgencio Batista, Rafael Trujillo, the
Anastasio Somozas, 64-85 military rule in Brazil, Augusto Pinochet, Alfredo
Stroessner, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Leopoldo Galtieri (all involved
in right-wing dictatorial regimes in various Latin American countries and which,
with the exception of perhaps only the latter, the U.S. had largely supported).
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With regard to Chile and
Pinochet, in the mid to late 1970s, I got a considerably different perspective from
my Chilean friends than I had heard from U.S. channels, i.e., these
Chileanos informed me about how we in the U.S. had disrupted one of the most
democratic of countries through the CIA-instigated overthrow of Salvador
Allende.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also recall in 1981, the intense fear and paranoia my
paraplegic tutor of Portuguese had of getting caught smoking marijuana by the
police arm of the right-wing military President <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">General João Figueiredo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later (and
much more recently) in our home, Father Roque, from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
expressed his hated of the U.S. and U.S. citizens for their support of the 1964
right-wing coup by the military in Brazil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Father Roque had been tortured
with electrical shocks to his genitalia because of his efforts to help leftists
flee from southern Brazil
into Argentina
to escape imprisonment or death!</b>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The U.S. Propaganda “Machine”.</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Therefore, I entered
Cuba with a conviction (based on history and experiences related to me by Latin
American friends) that the U.S. did not have such a beautiful record of
supporting socio-political/economic justice and equity-- and that Fidel Castro and
Che Guevara had been successful in making life considerably better for
devastatingly-poor Cubans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, it
seems that Fidel continued to work hard and think hard about how to make Cuban
life better and to introduce programs and projects to that end, despite an
onerous economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba since 1962 (through
nine presidents--democrats and republicans) by the most powerful nation in the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, </span>interactions
with friends and acquaintances from Latin America, Poland, Uzbekistan, the
Ukraine, etc. and travels to South America and
Europe have indicated that we in the U.S. have
historically gotten a paucity of information and knowledge <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">via </i>our government, public education process and news media—and
that what we do get is much distorted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Use of effective
propaganda and mis- and dis-information in the U.S. was particularly brought
home to me when I took a former Soviet physicist turned organic agriculture
enthusiast</b> (who had been on the USSR Academy of Science and was a friend of
Andrei Sakharov), on a tour of south central Texas agricultural systems in the last days
of former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Hightower’s administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This incredibly interesting man was about my
age and showed me black and white photos from the late fifties with beautiful vegetation-covered
landscapes in Siberia, lovely Russian women, and of him working on an oil rig
for wages in the Ural Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His depiction of the Soviet
Union was in many ways 180 degrees from that provided by our
government and our news media in the 1950s-80s—i.e., the drab and dreary photos
of Moscow and other large cities, the heavy unattractive women, the always
snow-covered and blizzard-bitten Siberia, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… and on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(To the contrary, in the 1990s one of my
students from Cuba--also of
about my age-- who had “traveled the world,” told me that Moscow was the most beautiful cities in which
she had toured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we all now know Russian women and
women from other former Soviet republics can be very beautiful, e.g. we
regularly see<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>tennis players like
Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, etc. in ads--even if other more broad-based and
more important knowledge of the former Soviet Union is still largely lacking by
most U.S. citizens.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Inequities and
Serious Challenges.</u></b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also went
into Cuba knowing that we in the U.S. are well over our carrying capacity, that
biodiversity of all types is declining<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/eo_wilsons_the.php">http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/eo_wilsons_the.php</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in ecosystems and biomes all over the world,
that all arable lands are being (over)utilized and desertified, that water
quantity and/or quality is becoming a serious problem in much of the U.S. and
the world, and that we in the U.S. use 33% of the world’s resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore one of the constant challenging
questions in my mind is: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">how do we begin
to change this disturbing situation and begin to protect our natural resources,
redistribute the wealth, and provide quality life for all species?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as I began to prepare for a possible
Cuban trip, I was certain that I/we can learn <u>something</u> about sustaining
our natural resource/energy base <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">via </i>socio-political/economic
(ecological) change from Fidel Castro’s Cuba!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Visits to La Habana and San Jose de las Lajas</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Cuba</u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u> Can Certainly Feel Like Home.</u> Some
Brazilian friends recently complemented my wife and me by saying (paraphrased),
“You came to Brazil
in 1981, not because you thought it was exotic, but because you truly wanted to
know its people, its language, its food, its diversions, its culture, the
Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You continue to come and
participate significantly in community and feel a sense of place because you really
love its people, language, food, diversions, culture, the Land</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… There is, I think, some truth to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We attempted to immerse ourselves in
Brazilian culture and culture from the time we arrived in late 1981, and we
continue to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brazil is not a vacation place for
us, it is home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Something similar began
to take place during my visit to Cuba.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rafael Ojeda and other Cuban hosts really
made me feel at home in Cuba, and I am certain that continued research and
interactions with Cuba
and Cubans will enhance this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>(And
before continuing with this account of events surrounding and within my recent
visit to Cuba—I want to make it clear that, similar to what we desire for our various
Brazilian and Polish friends, etc., we wholeheartedly desire for my Cuban
friends to visit us in our home in south central Texas and hopefully sense
pleasant and long-lasting emotions (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">saudades)
</i>toward <u>this</u> part of the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite these desires of my family and me, I
do realize that it will be extremely difficult for this to take place.)</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>What Brought About
This Trip, My Presentations at the Cuban Sustainability Conference, and What
Were the Challenges in Getting from the U.S.
to Cuba?</u>
</b>As indicated previously, I had dabbled into Cuban international politics
and their culture<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it was at an international meeting
on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Desenvolvimento Local </i>at a
Catholic University in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul--where I met Dr. Lazaro
Camilo Recompenso Josepj, a Cuban working in western Brazil, and Dr. Rafael
Ojeda Suarez, Director, Centro de Estudio de Desarrollo Agrario y Rural (CEDAR)
de la Universidad Agraria de la Habana--that this recent trip really
began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rafael Ojeda and I served on a
panel presentation/discussion at that meeting—and I was immensely impressed by
his informative and thoughtful presentation, the thoroughness of his research
and extension activities, and his wonderful personality which is enhanced by
his complete humility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(During this meeting
in Brazil, Camilo told a really funny story about how super-big the eyes of
Siberian children got, when they saw his black fur-lined face during his
studies and work in that area of the world—a region he said he really came to
love for the beauty of its landscape and its people.) </div>
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After that meeting in 2003, Rafael and I interacted
intermittently via<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>email; but then in
2005 I received an invitation from him to attend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">el</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Segundo Encuentro
International de Desarrollo Agrario y Rural: Por Desarrollo Local Sostenible,
Un Mundo Mejor Es Posible </i>(the Second International Meeting of Agriculture
and Rural Development:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through Local
Development a Better World is Possible).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though I was unsure of whether I would be able to find the time and
energy to travel to Cuba—and though I was particularly queasy about giving presentations
at such an international meeting for a number of reasons, I did begin to
research how I might proceed to enter Cuba.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(I might add that I put off the final decision to go until about
one to two weeks prior to the meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, early on in considering the idea of traveling to this conference,
I had decided that if I went--I planned to simply attend and learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my dear friend Rafael pointed
out--as renown Brazilian educator Paulo Freire would also have--that learning
necessitates active participation, and Rafael<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>stressed that he needed me to make presentations on developing
sustainable community/PEACE** at a pre-conference workshop and during the
proceedings of the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I eventually did so.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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After reading that U.S. citizens could be fined up to a
quarter of a million dollars and receive 10 years imprisonment for entering
Cuba “illegally” (in the eyes of the U.S. government), I made a whole-hearted
effort to receive permission from the designated “appropriate”-governmental
entity, the U.S. Department of the Treasury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did so despite the fact that I also read that only hundreds (or less) U.S.
citizens are given permission to enter Cuba each year by the U.S. and that
thousands go “illegally” under U.S. law, but that most “illegal” U.S. travelers
to Cuba receive no fines or imprisonment—and for those that are fined it is
generally in terms of $7,500.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, I received a letter from the Treasury Department
just prior to my planned trip to Cuba denying my requested license
to enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, through<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>a close friend at the college where I
teach, a U.S. migration lawyer told me most U.S. citizens simply go to Mexico (she
suggested Cancun) or some other country and then purchase airline tickets for
entry into Cuba--and that the Cubans do not stamp U.S. passports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, I decided to head on to La Habana
in this manner.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite this decision, I was still not really ready for such
a Cuba
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had relatively recently had a
major operation to correct a spinal cord problem and was still dealing with some
problems with the functioning of my lower body, the semester was ending at my
college and I had piles of portfolios to grade, and I was retiring and in the
process of cleaning out my office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
top of all this, my wife and I were planning a month-long trip to Brazil.</div>
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Adding to the difficulties in truly being prepared for a
truly educational and fulfilling trip to Cuba is the fact that I have always tended
to be an undisciplined, not-do-all-your-homework, seat-of-the-pants operator
(probably part of the reason why I did not turn out to be an effective U.S. Navy
pilot in 1969/70-- … <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gracias a Deus!</i>),
and as indicated in other places herein, I had not adequately researched
details of my proposed trip, stops along the way, or my destination in
Cuban.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I trusted my Cuban friend Rafael
who had encouraged me to come, and I eventually proceeded on to Cuba-- unshaven
and in old worn clothes, and with a tan (mostly artificial), and hoping that if
the hotel and traverses to the meeting rooms were in perilous areas of La
Habana—such as risky areas in which I had been in various other areas of Latin
America (or the U.S. for that matter)--I might blend in as an average Cuban and
not be targeted for any harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was younger my Brazilian friends oftentimes
told me I could “almost” pass for being Brazilian—and I dreamed I might also
pass as a Cuban and avoid some of the uncomfortable situations <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gringos</i> might sometimes get into in
south Texas—or other parts of Latin America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, 25 years later my same Brazilian friends now tell
me I now appear to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">puro gringo</i>
.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My wife reinforced this opinion upon my departure for Cancun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stressed several times that I would never
pass as a Cuban!!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, I did purchase a ticket to and from Cancun and
anticipated catching a flight in the afternoon for arrival in Cuba as well as having two other chances
to fly that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However upon arrival in
Cancun, I found that the flight times from Cancun
to La Habana had changed, and that I would have to fly standby for arrival late
that night in La Habana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, I
called my wife back in Texas,
and asked her to advise Rafael by email that I might--<u>or might not</u>--be
arriving that night in La Habana.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Arrival in Cuba.</u>
</b>I did make it onto the flight that night and arrived in La Habana at about 10 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had traveled light and did not have to
worry about the baggage claim area, and I proceeded to the cubicles with
immigration officials, hopefully anticipating Rafael might be on the other
side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose a cubicle with a pleasant-appearing
young black woman whom I guessed might be easy on me. However, prior to
reaching it I was stopped and questioned by a gentle but firm middle-aged state
policeman.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“What’s your purpose
in Cuba?”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Where will you be staying?”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Where do you plan to travel while here in Cuba?”,
“What is the duration of your visit?”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Who will you be meeting with?”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>he asked in understandable Cuban.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Upon receiving satisfactory answers, he told me to step up to the
cubicle housing the young female immigration officer in uniform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she proceeded to ask similar questions—also
in understandable Cuban--but we did also exchange a joke and she proceeded to
stamp some prepared entrance papers (but not my passport!!).</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The small passageway through immigration opened up into a
large room with an exit toward which I headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I headed for a small group of greeters, another state policeman
proceeded to ask the questions doled out to me twice before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told me to go on through, but then for
some reason, quickly changed his mind and told me to stay put.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took my passport, meeting agenda, and
telephone information I had for Rafael, and met with three other policemen to
discuss my situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few
minutes of discussion and taking notes, he returned and told me I was free to
go.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I headed through the greeters and found Dr. and Mrs. Rafael Ojeda
sitting and waiting patiently for my arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After some embracing and cheek-kissing, we chatted a moment, and then
headed out to the parking lot for Rafael’s car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we arrived at his car, once again we were stopped by police, who
began to drill Rafael.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rafael seemed to
be a bit put off by this encounter and I asked Rafael’s wife what was going on,
was I causing problems for them and was there something I could do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She pleaded ignorance and asked me to be
patient.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure enough, after a few minutes of discussion we were on
our way to the hotel in which Rafael had arranged lodging for me. Rafael
explained that the police were only trying to protect tourists from
exploitation by Cuban hustlers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Evidently I did not pass for a common
everyday Cuban—and most certainly was picked out as a true-blue <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gringo</i>, and one from the United States.</b>)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>My Hotel, and
Experiences in It and Its Surroundings.</u> </b>Upon arrival to the hotel and
settling down in my room, I immediately began to be unsettled and concerned
about having enough money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I
had a MasterCard from a U.S. bank, only the dollars I had carried down in my
concealed money belt would be accepted by the luxurious Melia Habana Hotel in
which Rafael had arranged for me to stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Conveniently, it was the hotel in which our meeting would take place.) Nevertheless,
I turned in and had a good night’s sleep.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(For several days after my arrival in Cuba, and after I saw
the undiscounted prices of my Hotel Melia Habana, I worried that I might not
have enough <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fula </i>or U.S. dollars,
which would have to be converted to Convertible Pesos <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">via </i>a 10% conversion cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
expressed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
this concern to Rafael and his wife, and indicated that
perhaps I should move to a less expensive hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left this in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">limbo</b> for several days (not that I feared <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">purgatory</b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hell</b>--or expected
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">heaven</b>)—Rafael figuring that it
would all work out and that I would be able to cover the expenses (besides, he
had lots of more important things to worry about concerning the conference he
was coordinating—and concerning taking care of other visitors), and I deciding
that I could stand to do a lot of fasting (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tengo
un panzonito</i>), and that perhaps I could borrow from a Mexican delegate I
might befriend, promising I would repay him upon our return to Mexico and the
U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, with my fasting, no
purchases of souvenirs, and a considerable discounted rate through Cuba’s
tourist agency, UniversiTur, I did have enough to cover the Hotel Melia Habana
charges!)</div>
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<br /></div>
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The next day (Saturday) Rafael had to work at his center at
the agricultural university of La Habana just outside of La Habana (El Centro
de Estudio de Desarrollo y Rural de la Universidad Agraria de la Habana).*****<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, I was free to relax in and get to
know my luxurious and expansive Spanish-owned hotel and the rough concrete and</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
rock- laden beach behind it, to read and work on my two
presentations, and to walk the streets and view the beautiful tropical
landscape sprinkled with beautiful tropical ladies (<u>and</u> men), the
unpainted old buildings including wonderful old Catholic churches, the Russian
Embassy and a small “supermarket” for tourists and Cubans who might afford
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets had relatively few
people along them--many of them attempting to hitch a ride, a few bicycles,
only an occasional bus, and some cars which included U.S. GM products, Fords,
Chryslers and Willyses from the 1930-50s, some Russian Lada and Volgas similar
to what I’d seen in the past in Poland and the Ukraine, and a considerable percentage
of newer Japanese and European cars.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
That Saturday evening, and during some other evenings (and
during our trip later to Brazil with respect to the Venezuelan TV channel) I
spent some time watching the Cuban channel and in particular the Venezuelan
channel and President Hugo Chavez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have some good feelings of hope about potential opportunities for the poor,
repressed, disenfranchised in Latin America under the leftist governments of
Hugo Chavez, and Lula da Silva in Brazil,
Evo Morales in Bolivia,
Michelle Bachelet in Chile, Nestor
Kirchner in Argentina,
and Tabare Vazquez in Uraguay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
had considerable familiarity with the politics and political battles of Lula
since our days of living in Brazil
in the 1980s—and I have always felt solidarity with him and his politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course, there has been considerable
coverage of Chavez and Morales in recent press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, I wonder if the average U.S. citizen really knows anything
much of what is really great socio-political/economic change taking place in Latin America, and the potential for significant help to
the really poor in these countries--if powerful countries like the U.S. would
facilitate the process in a socially just and humble manner, … i.e., as a
nation that is a true friend rather than an over-bearing know-it-all <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patron</i>. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I do hope that Hugo
Chavez--as a leader with the considerable power of oil reserves and revenues,
will truly help desperate have-nots in his country and in others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am very skeptical!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am amused by some of his antics-- … one
night while I was watching him while in Cuba he blurted out “You want cheap
oil Mr. George W. Bush!! But no, no, no ... you can’t have it!!!”—and it was
really quite a funny show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other
hand, I feel very uneasy when I see him toy with one of the 100, 000
Kalashnikovs he has coming from Russia, and I read of the million rounds of ammunition
that will accompany them, and moreover, when I read that Venezuela plans to
build and sell Kalashnikovs to other countries in the future, and when I hear that
Chavez is empowering his military with subs and other military technology and
arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, as amusing as Hugo
Chavez sometimes is and as hopeful some of his rhetoric and actions are—<u>other
antics and actions of this fellow</u> <u>really scare me!</u>******</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Touring La Habana
and Its Environs</u></b><u> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">with Dr.
Rafael Ojeda!</b> </u>On Sunday Rafael picked me up and provided me a rapid,
drive-by, walk-by tour of La Habana, his son’s apartment, his wife’s place of
work, the area around his university, and the municipality of San Jose
de las Lajas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early on during this
magnificent tour, Rafael pointed out what had been a hotel near my Hotel Melia
Habana, that was now serving as a large hospital involved in cataract surgery
and surgery for other eye problems--with clientele mostly from Venezuela and
other Latin American countries. In La Habana he toured me through La Plaza
Vieja, by the Gran Teatro de La Habana and the Catedral de San Cristobal de la
Habana, by various museums including the Museo de la Revolucion and the
Capitolio Nacional with its Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, by the
Universidad de la Habana, through La Plaza de la Revolucion and many other
plazas and along the lengthy seawall, the Malecon, with lovers dotted along it,
taking in the view of the beautiful sea—or just taking in each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took me by the La Habana port docks and pointed
to a huge cruise liner docked there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
showed me the Estadio America Latina, major government buildings and Fidel’s
home—and the building which had housed the U.S. Embassy with it’s black-flag-
and anti-U.S./anti-Bush billboard-sprinkled entrance. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We did take time to walk through La Plaza Vieja and a few
other plazas, Rafael took considerable time to view the old Fortaleza
de San Carlos
de la Cabana across the bay from La Habana and explain the firing of the
cannons at nine in the evening (announcing the closing of the old walled port
city in the past).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the center of old Havana, Rafael
demonstrated the restoration projects of old colonial building largely funded
by the Spanish government and NGOs (international non-governmental
organizations).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed out that the
people who had been living in these buildings, continued to live in the
buildings during restoration and that they were paid to assist with the
restoration project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon completion of
these projects, these habitants would be relocated to new housing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rafael demonstrated the Memorial Jose Marti (the La Habana airport
is also named after this national hero) and proceeded to tell the story of
Marti.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This son of Spanish immigrants
and newspaper publisher, became involved in anticolonial activism early in his
life and was arrested for treason in 1869.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After months of hard labor in a stone quarry and then exile to the Isla
de Pinos (la Juventud), he was deported to Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After completing law school there, he lived
in Mexico City, Guatemala,
and several other countries—including another brief period in Cuba; but after additional conspiratorial and
anticolonial activities, he eventually settled in New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There he became well-known across Latin America for his relentless
advocacy and organizing for Cuba’s
independence from Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In May 11, 1895 he was killed in eastern Cuba during the Second War of
Independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">During Marti’s career as a journalist, he had written many essays
warning of U.S.
imperialism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following his death, imminent
victory by his revolutionists was stolen from them by U.S. intervention three years
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(It seems ironic that the U.S. has named its major propaganda tools aimed
at Cuba—Radio Marti and
Television Marti</b>—after Cuba’s
hero who tried so hard to ward off U.S imperialism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The U.S.
has spent a half billion dollars on this effort that has less than one-third of
one percent of Cubans as listeners.) </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rafael did make certain that I felt comfortable to ask any
questions about politics, justice/injustices in Cuban, the government or
Fidel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he always responded openly
and honestly, emphasizing that Fidel had done wonders for Cubans, that Cubans
were prepared to protect Cuba
and Fidel from invasions and assassinations, and that there are bright and
energetic visionary politicians ready to take Fidel’s place and continue the
Revolution.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did query Rafael about recent changes since the Special
Period after the Soviet Union collapsed,
especially increased tourism and capitalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He seemed to accept a need for both these processes, but emphasized that
money and the influx of European and other tourists had resulted in a
significant increase in drugs and prostitution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Also, at
some time early in the trip, it really dawned on me that my Cuban friends—even
those participating in the meetings at Hotel Melia Habana, including Rafael,
the primary organizer of the conference, could not/would not enter my hotel
room upon my invitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Movement in
the hotel, and especially to the guest rooms, was closely monitored by guards in
nice civilian suits—and Cubans were not allowed in the rooms of tourists.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Travels with Rafael
were like travels in Poland
and the Ukraine
with my wonderful <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">amigo de Polonia</i>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kazimierz Wiech<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.accd.edu/main/html/news/2005/033105_2.htm">http://www.accd.edu/main/html/news/2005/033105_2.htm</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- … we didn’t eat much!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday morning I munched on the mixture of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mani</i>, raisins and M&Ms my wife Betsy
had prepared for me; however, the only other thing I had for sustenance on this
long day that lasted until well after sundown, was a beer Rafael stopped and
bought in a small square brick building by the streetside in La Habana and some
tea and rum at Osvaldo Franchi-Alfaro Roque’s, i.e. Franchi’s, house.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We met Franchi at his small organic farm—which also served
as a research and education operation—during our visit to San Jose de las Lajas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Jose de la Lajas is in a productive dairy
and sugarcane area of the province
of La Habana near
Rafael’s Universidad Agraria de la Habana. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a progressive municipal government (I
met a major local government leader for that municipality on that Sunday) whose
various initiatives toward organic and urban agriculture, energy efficiency,
more effective local health care, holistic education including in the culinary
arts, seem to be relatively well-funded--at least in part through ALBA, Hugo
Chavez’s Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On that Sunday, we entered San Jose de las Lajas through a line of
permanent “poster-monuments” memorializing Cuban revolutionary heroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After chatting with the local government
official, who Rafael noticed on the outskirts of the city, we made our way
through scattered pedestrians, bikers (including the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bicitaxis</i>), and a few cars, to the urban farm/research-school of
Osvaldo Franchi-Alfaro Roque, a former construction foreman who has converted
what was a construction dump, to a productive educational farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I indicated herein earlier, Franchi served us up some
tea--and later some great Cuban rum—under a shaded area near his house while we
informally discussed Cuban agricultural conditions and history in general,
other organic and urban agriculture in the vicinity of San Jose de las Lajas,
and his own vegetable, fruit, and seed production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He demonstrated his raised beds, shades and
hothouses, fertilizer tea and organic “pesticides,” drip system, and a simple
homemade mechanical irrigation timer which he had patented and which could be
easily constructed in a farmer’s “spare” time from available resources. (See <span style="color: blue;">csanr.wsu.edu/<b>Cuba</b>/<b>Cuba</b>TripReport2003-09-09.pdf</span><span style="color: green; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">and <a href="http://www.socialistviewpoint.org/sepoct_05/sepoct_05_29.html">http://www.socialistviewpoint.org/sepoct_05/sepoct_05_29.html</a>
for other reports on Franchi’s operation.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">During this visit with Franchi, he
discussed the various students whom he had mentored and advised and who stayed
with him on his farm (one of the current doctoral students working with Franchi
from Colombia, helped me later
with my pre-conference presentation) as well as the many visitors from Europe
and a few from the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before leaving his farm, Franchi made certain
that I made an entry in his most recent guest book, as he demonstrated the
lists of many guests from many areas of the world who had toured his farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we parted ways with some friendly hugs, he
gave me several newsletters from CEDAR which mentioned his collaborative work
with student and the university.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">While visiting Franchi, I could not help but think of the similarities
between him and Malcolm Beck, founder of the compost and organic supply
company, GardenVille, which originated here just north and east of San Antonio,
Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both Franchi and Malcolm are
extremely intelligent, can-do and self-made men, who are voracious readers and
excellent communicators and who know how to bridge the gaps between university
know-it-alls, city-folk and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">campesinos</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I related this to Rafael and dreamed out loud
about how it would be wonderful to bring these two fantastically wonderful men
together in each of their respective Lands!</b>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">On our way back from San Jose de las Lajas to
the center of La Habana, Rafael took me meet his Vice-Director of CEDAR, Luis
Pena Ojeda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found Luis near his
brother’s home (a very basic and humble open shelter of concrete and raw wood)—shirtless,
and skinning a rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I wanted to
demonstrate my Texan rural skills practiced on many a cottontail, jackrabbit,
and Brazos county marsh rabbit (Two roommates and I lived on these
spot-lighted, bread-bag contained, frozen leporids for the final year of my undergraduate
studies at Texas A&M.), I pitched in on the rabbit-cleaning while we
discussed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rabbit-culture in Cuba and an
established disease that made such an enterprise difficult, as well as the
conference which would begin early that week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(By that time, Rafael had coerced me into being a co-moderator with Luis
for a Thurday session on “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sostenibilidad
Ambiental y Manejo de los Recursos Naturales.”</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">One of the last things Rafael did on that Sunday was to
take me to a beach in La Habana and allow me to quietly, spiritually experience
a sun--larger than I had ever witnessed before--kiss the ocean’s horizon and
then smoothly slide into the ocean in what seemed like a few seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really appreciated Rafael for allowing me to
experience what I might call wonder and a deep feeling of PEACE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great ending to what was an amazing
and wonderfully tiring, enjoyable day!!!</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 26.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center; text-indent: -.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">II Encuentro Internacional de Desarrollo Agrario y
Rural</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Pre-Conference and
Conference Activities.</u></b> After another day of street-walking, reading,
and presentation-preparation, on Tuesday the conference in which I was invited
was about to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I went to the
operational rooms of the meeting on Tuesday morning, I was greeted by and got
to know better various members of Rafael’s family—his wife, his
daughter-in-law, and later his son--and his staff and other colleagues, all of
whom were eagerly volunteering and helping to make the conference a
success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, Rafael’s
Vice-Director, Luis Pena Ojeda also had his wife assisting with the management
of the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I decided that this
was a good occasion to deliver gifts of books on sustainable community, Mexican
pecan candy, and San Antonio and Texas arts and crafts/souvenirs
to my hosts—and did so.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The objective of the pre-conference as well as the principle
proceedings of the planned conference, was in concert with my concept of a
process of development of sustainable community or PEACE**.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It proposed to bring together from various
countries--principally Latin American--researchers, administrators, extension
specialists, and other community members in order that they might holistically discuss
successful approaches at achieving quality of life for all in local community,
i.e., approaches to sustainable local livelihoods that are ecologically-sound,
socially just and humane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Central themes
included: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;">nutritional
security and sovereignty, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the
importance of urban agriculture, </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;">environmental
sustainability and natural resource management involving energy
conservation, </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;">local
human development and development of sustainable local governmental
entities--including problems of globalization and urbanization, </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;">and
sustainable management of knowledge and social capital. </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it was particularly note-worthy that the efforts and
successes presented were truly holistic and participatory, and were always
monitored, evaluated, analyzed and discussed through various socio-political/economic
(ecological) lenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover,
presenters and audience-participants from Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras
(including a representative of CARE), Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, El
Salvador, Spain, the U.S., and Rome (an administrator from FAO of the United
Nations) focused on empowering the poor (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">campesinos</i>)
and facilitating and hearing their active voice as leaders in research,
extension, and sustainable development efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I particularly enjoyed a presentation by CEDAR’s Physical
Education and Community Recreation Chief, Alejandro E. Ramos which emphasized
preventative vs.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>the curative side of
individual and community mental and physical health, and showed the importance
of involvement of all age groups, and all sectors of a community!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, my discussions with Justo Luis Orihuela
Martinez--a former sugarcane farmer and currently a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist
with CEDAR--of Cuban agriculture and transition of management mindsets during
the Soviet and Special Period following the crumbling of the Soviet Union and
Soviet support (centralization <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs. </i>decentralization,
high inputs/throughputs/outputs <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs. </i>low,
use of nasty persistent biocides <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vs. </i>organic
agriculture) were delightful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I very
much enjoyed listening to Carill Garay Valenza and other agriculturalists from Peru and
discussing the challenges of working with organizations of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">campesinos</i> in a socio-political/economic environment that
marginalizes and ostracizes such groups and such work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Some Sustainable
Community Efforts with Which I’ve Become Acquainted Which Seem to Be
Particularly Successful and Noteworthy.</u></b> My presentations (the
PowerPoint piece I utilized for the meetings in Cuba will be sent under separate
cover) dealt with my knowledge of some of the most successful efforts at
positively ethical applied community ecology** efforts of which I am
aware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My talks were well-received;
however, Carill and his colleagues did work me over after the pre-conference
presentation--about the applicability of the cases I presented in their particular
situations in indigenous and really tough and challenging Andean farmlands, … and
about their skepticism that the model I presented could be successful for their
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">campesinos</i> under the current Peruvian
socio-political/economic climate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover,
in the session which I helped moderate and in which I gave a presentation—a
session with some emphasis on eco- and agro- tourism—a number of participants
were not pleased with my skepticism of and disfavor with excessive tourism as a
possible community component for true long-term community sustainability.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition, in one session I thought that Luis Pena made what
was a too broad-sweeping, generalized statement about banning the use of fire
in agriculture systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I proposed
that fire can be a useful and appropriate tool in many (agro)ecosytems including
in the tropics--if used wisely and judiciously--I was reminded that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fuego es fuego</i>, and that similarly to
what I found in the scientific community in the Cerrado of Brazil, use of fire
is it is a quite polemic subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is because of historical usage in the deforestation and destruction of natural
habitat in Cuba, the taboos associated with fire inherited from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>European land management strategies and the
“Smoky the Bear” mindset, its misuse in sugarcane systems, and some hard data
demonstrating that use of fire in tropical systems can cause significant
short-term <u>and</u> long-term harm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do want to emphasize that the meetings were productive and
enjoyable!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And outside of the meeting
rooms, we did have some wonderful meals provided by the large restaurant at
Hotel Melia Habana which consisted of fantastic seafood, pork and chicken, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quesos</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yucca, </i>plantain, rice, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">calabaza</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pepinos</i> and various salads,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>a variety of beans and delicious
tropical fruits including lots of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">guayaba
y melon (sandia </i>in Texas), ice cream and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flan</i>-type desserts, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">varios
jugos de frutas</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">café y cafecito
fuerte y muy sabroso, </i>etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(As is
the case at such meetings, I had some wonderful discussions at meals with
conference participants from Cuba,
Spain, and Central
America. At one meal I had an enlightening discussion with a
long-time agricultural researcher/extension specialist who made me aware of a
new book out on Fidel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.periodico26.cu/english/culture/book051806.htm">http://www.periodico26.cu/english/culture/book051806.htm</a>
.) And we had a couple of cocktail parties, one of which was out by Hotel Melia
Habana’s immense pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latter
cocktail featured amazing and beautiful swimmer acrobats performing an
unbelievable synchronized swimming show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will send some photos under
separate cover.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Group Tour of San Jose de las Lajas.</u>
</b>On Thursday we toured San Jose
de las Lajas as a group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">We
entered an elementary school of about 500 or so students and were
entertained by children’s songs (and I gave them a couple of baseballs
from the U.S.),
</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">our
group visited a medical facility which also serves to develop new doctors
for the local community, </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">all of
us entered tidy homes with families living in them being retrofitted with
new, more efficient electrical systems, lighting and appliances (something
taking place across San Jose de las Lajas—and eventually across all of
Cuba) (I gave a young man in one of the homes a Brazilian soccer shirt I
had purchased prior to the trip.) , </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">we
stopped at and were shown the office of a local government representative,
the computer system and the local demographic data it contained,</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">we ate
snacks and had fruit juice at a small culinary school, </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">we
stopped to see a display of arts and crafts from the city (which included
Franchi and his irrigation timer) </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">and we
were entertained in a local theatre by local young dancers and singers
after which we all were brought up on stage for a participatory dance, and
all given the microphone to say a few kind words about Cuba and Cubans.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the stop at the school, I was impressed by the fact
that although the rooms were not air-conditioned and were quite simple—and the
books were mostly worn and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tattered--all
classes seemed to have a TV and oftentimes a computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, as everywhere perhaps, these young
students were full of energy and excitement--but they also really appeared eager
to learn and seemed to be concentrating on the lesson and/or the teacher or TV,
and to be on-task and focused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this school we were taken into the dental care section
with 3-4 dental chairs, and told that all of the students had their teeth
checked at least one time per year, and that curative work was done on an
as-needed basis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were also informed
that regular physical exercise and general preventative health care is a high
priority in schools in all of San Jose de las
Lajas—and all across Cuba.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did notice a list in a corridor of how a good communist
should behave, which would have probably raised the eyebrows of some of our
neo-cons/neo-McCarthyites here in the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the list was not really different
than that for a good citizen in our public schools here in the U.S.,
or for good Catholics or other good Christians in our parochial/Christian
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Back to Mexico
and the U.S.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Despedidas.</u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Since
my wife had scheduled a trip to Brazil
for that next Sunday, I had to miss the last day of the conference in La
Habana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thursday night I went to the
front hotel desk to make sure that all was okay with my room payment situation
(I had paid the discounted rate to the UniversiTur representative, and he was
to pay the hotel)—and sure enough there was a glitch (i.e., my UniversiTur voucher
could not be found).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after
explaining to the hotel representative that I had to leave at 5:30 am in the morning in order to
catch a flight to Cancun, she made a call to
her manager and he told her to go ahead and process me out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Late that night, Rafael and his wife stopped by the hotel
and brought me a few presents for myself and my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And
Rafael stressed in bidding me goodbye that the only thing he expected out of me
in the future is true friendship and human and humane solidarity with the
people of Cuba.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning I hooked up with a fellow named Rolando,
for a taxi ride to the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a
wonderful conversation about his life and life in general in Cuba.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This very open young man of about 30 years critiqued
the current Cuba
socio-political/economic system in many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had problems with:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;">lack
of job opportunities (he had been a physical education teacher in a
province to the east of La Habana),</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;">restrictions
on moving from your home place (he was allowed to move to La Habana after
demonstrating that there was a place available in his aunt’s home), </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;">economic
inequities between those in government and those active in the Communist
Party in Cuba--and
others, </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;">and
his experience/perception that the ration book (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">libreta</i>) did not supply adequate food and supplies for Cubans.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">!Es Cuba!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>!Es el mundo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Espanol/Portenghol</u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>.</u>
</i>I have some shame that--even after working in the field with migrant
workers as a young boy and being around Spanish in south central Texas for much
of my life; despite having Spanish as my language for my Ph.D., giving various
lectures and other presentations through the years in Spanish, having a Texas
teaching certificate in Spanish, and having traveled in a number of
Spanish-speaking countries through the years--my Portenghol (as one Brazilian
friend called it in the recent past) is still pretty miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, I really had to work extra hard at
concentrating on and comprehending Cuban Spanish, which for me was contracted,
run-on, incomplete and filled with colloquialisms. (I’m sure they would say the
same about my Texan.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel quite
confident that while I was in Cuba,
Cubans understood my simplistic Portenghol, but my understanding of their Cuban
Spanish sometimes had major gaps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Arrival in Mexico and the U.S.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Upon arrival in<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Cancun, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aduana </i>official asked if I had any Cuban <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">puros</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I said no, I got
a green light and they quickly processed me on through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After an 8-hour layover in Mexico
City, I made it back to San Antonio,
where once again I got the green light and headed on home to Seguin.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Conclusions</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Funds for CEDAR
and Rafael.</u> </b>If I could easily get one thousand dollars or so of my own
personal money into Rafael Ojeda’s sustainable development efforts across Cuba,
I would do so on a moment’s notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would encourage others to contribute to his vast research efforts and his efforts
at extension and diffusion of these research results across Cuba--from the provinces of Pinar del Fuego and
La Habana to Cienfuegos to Las Tunas and Granma
to Guantanamo. (Of
course $1, 000 might be a pittance in comparison to money being injected into
his program at this time via ALBA, or the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas
and Hugo Chavez.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Lifting the
Embargo and Fighting Injustice.</u> </b>I believe we need to fight for a lifting
of the embargo and for a thorough, fair and just investigation of the Cuban
Five’s incarceration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/29/content_386819.htm">http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/29/content_386819.htm</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It is
a globalized world and economic/trade sanctions hurt little people, especially
on an island that is well over its carrying capacity after having its natural
resources devastated by Spanish colonialism, U.S. imperialism, and Soviet
extraction.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Through Humility
and Respect We Can Learn Much from Cuba.</u> </b>I do believe we
should interact in a robust way with Cuba to communicate to learn about:</div>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Effective
local health care for all</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Higher
literacy rates and education of the general population</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Population
and consumptive growth regulation</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">True
organic agriculture and urban agriculture</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Holistically
and intelligently dealing with terrorism </li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Solidarity.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I hope that I and others honor Rafael
Ojeda’s request for solidarity with him, his people and his efforts across Cuba with
local development toward sustainable community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a very good man!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his Cuban participants in PEACE** are
good people!!</div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Additional Web Sites, Etc. You May Want to Visit</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.awiu.org/Cuba/index.html">http://www.awiu.org/Cuba/index.html</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Report with points similar to mine by
American Women for International Understanding.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.foodfirst.org/node/361">http://www.foodfirst.org/node/361</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Excellent book on Cuba’s agricultural
transformation.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1462">http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1462</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Interesting perspective on how North Korea
and Cuba responded to oil shortages in different ways—and how the rest of us
might deal with impending shortages of this fossil fuel.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.brianwillson.com/awolcuba.html#misery">http://www.brianwillson.com/awolcuba.html#misery</a>
(Contains summary comments you may wish to scan over.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_460.cfm">http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_460.cfm</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Organic/urban agriculture in Cuba.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://cubajournal.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_cubajournal_archive.html">http://cubajournal.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_cubajournal_archive.html</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Within this blog site is an interesting piece
on the history of Cuba
and Fidel.)</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 26.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: green;">csanr.wsu.edu/<b>Cuba</b>/<b>Cuba</b>TripReport2003-09-09.pdf</span><span style="color: green; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span>(Google this and
you’ll find a wonderful report on a tour of organic agriculture in Cuba)<span style="color: green; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: HJBBPP+TimesNewRoman; font-size: 26.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HJBBPP+TimesNewRoman;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: HJBBPP+TimesNewRoman; font-size: 26.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HJBBPP+TimesNewRoman;">………………………. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Footnote re. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Es Cuba</i>: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Es Cuba </i>is a
book by Lea Aschkenas (2006) that points out what I already knew to a limited
extent from a few Cuban friends, i.e., that Cubans in Cuba readily critique their system and life in Cuba,
but they do also attempt to work hard to make it better. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">!Es
Cuba!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>!No es facil!</i>) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand they do accept that there
are limitations to what they can do given their limited resources, the U.S. embargo,
and the craziness of micro- and macro-politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, I believe there is some of this critically-thinking
mind-set and sociological process going on in all peoples and countries of the
world—or there should be.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
** <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Footnote re.
concepts of sustainability:</b> The process of a dynamic conservation and
development of sustainable community has been most eloquently described by
farmer, poet, essayist, and philosopher Wendell Berry in 1979.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“To live, we must daily break the body and
shed the blood of Creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we do
this knowingly, skillfully, reverently, it is a sacrament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we do it ignorantly, greedily, clumsily,
destructively, it is a desecration.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is a particularly local process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless all human players must also work
hard at being global.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It involves
initial rapid and long-term continuing appraisal of all ecological resources in
a management unit (watershed?), e.g. natural capital, social capital, cultural
capital, political capital, human capital, financial capital, built
capital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, strategic planning,
policy development and action planning and implementation utilizing appropriate
developmental processes and appropriate technologies long-term conservation and
sustainability; and continuous monitoring, analysis and evaluation, and
replanning are key subsets of this sustainable process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Efforts termed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sustainable livelihoods <a href="http://www.livelihoods.org/">http://www.livelihoods.org/</a>
, holistic management <a href="http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC25/Wood.htm">http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC25/Wood.htm</a>
, Ogallala Commons <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.ogallalacommons.org/">http://www.ogallalacommons.org/</a> ,
natural systems agriculture <a href="http://www.landinstitute.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2000/08/05/377bbbe53">http://www.landinstitute.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2000/08/05/377bbbe53</a>
,</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">local development <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://www.agdr.goias.gov.br/desen_local_int.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=10&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddesenvolvimento%2Blocal%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2004-52,GGLD:en">http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://www.agdr.goias.gov.br/desen_local_int.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=10&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddesenvolvimento%2Blocal%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2004-52,GGLD:en</a>
, </i>research into historical and conventional ecological footprints and
energetics <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in Europe by Helmut Haberl<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.iff.ac.at/socec/staff/haberl.php">http://www.iff.ac.at/socec/staff/haberl.php</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>research
and activism <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by Stuart Hill in Australia <a href="http://www.zulenet.com/zulenet/see/chair.html">http://www.zulenet.com/zulenet/see/chair.html</a></i>
into socio-political/economic (ecological) processes conducive to conservation
and development of sustainable community, research and activism<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">world
wide by Miguel Altieri <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.agendaorganica.cl/altieri.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=7&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmiguel%2Baltieri%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2004-52,GGLD:en">http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.agendaorganica.cl/altieri.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=7&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmiguel%2Baltieri%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2004-52,GGLD:en</a>
</i>into sustainable human cultures, processes and technologies,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and some of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">efforts in the Northwestern U.S. <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=905">http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=905</a></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and by conservation biologists <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/group/CCB/">http://www.stanford.edu/group/CCB/</a>
</i>seem to me to be particularly contributing significantly to this PEACE
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there are many, many
admirable activities contributing to this process in universities, NGOs and
numerous other entities across the humanosphere.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Footnote re. the U.S. embargo on Cuba and other warring actions of
our beloved empire: </b>The embargo on Cuban is one of the many strong-arm
tactics we have made as a nation which has a long-history of exerting its power
and desire for more on others less powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course many in this country continue to support these tactics—and
even more outrageous tactics such as pre-emptive strikes, secret prisons,
torture and restriction of civil liberties on a broad-spectrum of peoples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a close relative who is exemplary of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1960s and 70s, his outward appearance
of curly long hair, his old worn clothes and old Volkswagen Beetle, his musical
preferences, and various actions and statements, made him to appear
superficially to be a stereotypical leftist liberal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Searching for meaning in life, he ran away
from his Catholic roots and was captured by a Christian cult in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He eventually left this restrictive
“communal” life with Shiloh and since then he
has become Bible-/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weekly Standard- </i>thumping
Reaganite/W. Bushite neocon who is also supposedly a Pro-Lifer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But despite this “Pro-Life” stance, he also seems
to possess the warmongering mindset of the Fort Worth
red neck in Chip Taylor’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Another Fort Worth Friday Night</i>,
who is lamenting over the Viet Nam Conflict and who gruffly emotes, “Next time
we’ll win it!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This relative who is on the extreme opposite side (from me) of
this chasm we have in liberal and right-wing mindsets in this country,
constantly uses the phrase often used by other neo-cons (i.e., of the masses)--“because
of people like you, we lost the Vietnam War,” as if it’d be great to continue
to bomb, napalm, and Agent-Orange that wonderful part of the world, and
continue to kill Vietnamese, other Asians, U.S. citizens and citizens of other Western
countries and do what is really important in life (or death)—win wars!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has not learned that only corporations and
war-time speculators and opportunists “win” wars for the short-term, and that
most other life-forms continue to suffer long after the fighting has ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His Uncle Bain (after whom I am named) wrote
from the German front shortly after the Battle
of the Bulge, and just a few days before he was killed in combat, (paraphrased)
“They’re taking pretty good care of us over here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we sleep in a foxhole, sometimes in
a pillbox, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>sometimes</u></b> we
spend the night in an abandoned German home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moreover, we get at least one warm meal a day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not like the Pacific where Alton (my father) is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve got this war well-organized over
here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And man if they’ll get around to organizing peace as well as they’ve
organized war, we’ll definitely have a long-lasting peace.”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Uncle Bain and my Dad--and
most others involved did not win in World War II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They lost lives and those dear to them!! Moreover,
many of these old soldiers know you can not win at war (in Vietnam—or Iraq …)—that is why they will not
talk about war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
knew the terrible realities of war and a militaristic mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deep down--though they may have trouble in
articulating it in a world of war and the language of war--they know PEACE is
the only way.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
**** <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Footnote re. the
conservation, anti- technological/gadget/television mindset in the Alton Martin family: </b>We
purchased a television in ca. 1963, and for a number of years thereafter, my
father only allowed viewing on weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Therefore, I really did not see video images (propaganda) of Cuba,
Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution and related activities
until after ca. 1964.<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 7.5pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***** <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Footnote re.
Dr. Rafael Ojeda Suarez’s (Director) center at the Agrarian University of
Havana: </b>From a translation of their webpage: “The Training Center of
Agrarian and Rural Development (CEDAR) of the Agrarian University of Havana,
founded the 26 of June of the 2003 is based on the design and application of a
model of management of sustainable development at local level, sustained in a
system of interinstitutional, interdisciplinary, prospective and participatory
knowledge and information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This system
will facilitate the decision- making of the social actors of the community for
the strategic planning of the agrarian and rural development at municipal level--on
a scientific basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will have applied
investigation models developed under the demands, problems and challenges of
the surroundings—through a systems approach. Its operational range is national
having concrete actions in the provinces of Pine of the River, Havana, the Tunas, Granma
and Guantánamo through their agrarian university institutions.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">******Footnote re.
Hugo Chavez:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hugo Chavez is
certainly not all wrong when he tears into the U.S., its citizens and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">el Diablo con azufre</i> for their hubris,
ignorance, greedy use of natural resources and energy, killing of innocent
civilians through the many wars it has begun or entered, and other
socio-political/economic (ecological) disruptive activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, it seems that one has to ask, “How
can we criticize Venezuela and Iran for arms buildup and arms sales when we, as
5% of the world’s population<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have by far
the most armaments, and have almost one-half of the world’s armament market and
more than 2.5 times that of the second and third highest armament
marketers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.fas.org/asmp/fast_facts.htm">http://www.fas.org/asmp/fast_facts.htm</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_nuclear_weapons">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_nuclear_weapons</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We--like Hugo
Chavez--are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pecadores</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">y diablos</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But perhaps his sin is venial—and ours
mortal??? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-24001343130277884292013-02-12T13:34:00.002-06:002013-02-12T13:34:40.220-06:00Twilight in No-Funland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdOCVN8K28AfYOCT6TwgWj_tYMMPFOfrbd2GJySgoOqZgFTAtBF2xrAx-jv3eX2jKwTnzCktBV6whUhyphenhyphenONhCVtLGunEy9WzIb29Un8D3iyuSgYmsTpe3jqfWbLDXBgqZOYYfN/s1600/Carnival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdOCVN8K28AfYOCT6TwgWj_tYMMPFOfrbd2GJySgoOqZgFTAtBF2xrAx-jv3eX2jKwTnzCktBV6whUhyphenhyphenONhCVtLGunEy9WzIb29Un8D3iyuSgYmsTpe3jqfWbLDXBgqZOYYfN/s320/Carnival.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This photograph is one of the best that I've taken over the years. It just happened, I saw carnival rides sequestered behind a razor wire topped fence, and my eye and the camera lens was just drawn to it. So I'm posting it here for posterity. One day I'll try to print it out, but I've actually lost the original image.<br />
<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-63297692355022408512012-07-11T15:24:00.000-05:002012-07-11T15:25:06.738-05:00Time for New Faces in Washington D.C.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CgmenwsC8rxdMvPNcKEsjaLeTZCSSDKla-3xAGx1UtPizI2X_WQk_qraLHEvFQNftDm8d-vhbFAWB0MXC-LKXZaOUl8eYQMgWttQuUBOpvWNa0m8cDbSy_jND0ccoslXko8k/s1600/Congress-web-sign.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CgmenwsC8rxdMvPNcKEsjaLeTZCSSDKla-3xAGx1UtPizI2X_WQk_qraLHEvFQNftDm8d-vhbFAWB0MXC-LKXZaOUl8eYQMgWttQuUBOpvWNa0m8cDbSy_jND0ccoslXko8k/s320/Congress-web-sign.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.newmenu.org/michaelcary">Michael D. Cary For U.S. Congress, District 28</a>Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-87785245179042687232012-01-18T20:55:00.002-06:002012-01-18T20:55:23.596-06:00The Censors Rear Their Ugly Heads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLJ8ulesULt87cSLRxitHw012HV0rjv4EOXZUo29G9UgCStWyAmlbZgJBxRBPDOtl2rK5X6LrmbYjowkSGa5HwzpvIItzQEFPsVxxNZ_VFE4y9t4IDREa0oIYbUMQ-W1B5UbY/s1600/dontcensorthenet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLJ8ulesULt87cSLRxitHw012HV0rjv4EOXZUo29G9UgCStWyAmlbZgJBxRBPDOtl2rK5X6LrmbYjowkSGa5HwzpvIItzQEFPsVxxNZ_VFE4y9t4IDREa0oIYbUMQ-W1B5UbY/s1600/dontcensorthenet.jpg" /></a></div>
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Send them a message:<br />
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<a href="http://americancensorship.org/">http://americancensorship.org/</a><br />
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<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-41303608989096752782012-01-08T20:26:00.001-06:002012-01-08T20:26:45.968-06:00Find Your Local Superfund SiteThis bird died in an oil spill from a refinery that is designated as a Superfund site.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad94iI-gFxUBeNHAQM-rYpp73veAUwqfrIqc8BMyKMqdg54YIklxSdS1uDdOlmxgH3Ng6r-JrxGYY73JYdPUQFJUCJ84FIV3t0D-8ZqOsaGn7tPCFKNc5gsBdCR0c9Dy8nknY/s1600/Oiled+cormorant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad94iI-gFxUBeNHAQM-rYpp73veAUwqfrIqc8BMyKMqdg54YIklxSdS1uDdOlmxgH3Ng6r-JrxGYY73JYdPUQFJUCJ84FIV3t0D-8ZqOsaGn7tPCFKNc5gsBdCR0c9Dy8nknY/s320/Oiled+cormorant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Find a toxic Superfund site near where you live, with this handy map provided by the Environmental Protection Agency.<br />
<a href="http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/">http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/</a><br />
<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-11419379742790863012011-10-19T12:36:00.003-05:002011-10-19T12:36:32.792-05:00Natural Resources Defense CouncilWeb site devoted to protecting the Earth's resources. See what they have to say about the Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline, and it's threat to natural habitats along the way:<br /><a href="http://www.nrdc.org/default_t2.asp">http://www.nrdc.org/default_t2.asp</a>Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-65726142772061721922011-10-18T14:57:00.000-05:002011-10-18T14:57:17.535-05:00Mapping Banned BooksThe American Library Association provides an interactive map of incidents and locations of books that are banned in respective communities, such as the following, just south of Austin, Texas:<br /><br />(2011) Lynda Madaras and Dane Saavedra's What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-up Guide for Parents & Sons was b<span jstcache="0" style="color: #221e1f;"><span jstcache="0" style="color: #221e1f; font-size: 9pt;">anned from twenty-one school libraries in Buda, Tex. after a parent’s complaint. The book includes definitions of rape, incest, sexual assault, and intercourse.<br /><br />Find the map here: <a href="http://bannedbooksweek.org/mappingcensorship">http://bannedbooksweek.org/mappingcensorship</a></span></span><br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-55412375970530246162011-10-18T14:38:00.000-05:002011-10-18T14:46:13.666-05:00The Weekly BarbMany cities have weekly publications across the nation who claim to be part of the genre "alternative newspaper." There are in fact very few true alternative newspapers in any given city, USA.<br />
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This said because many of these publications are part of a chain of news agencies, owned by big conglomerate corporations.<br />
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Their layouts and departments, such as news, arts, music, movies and classifieds, are all pretty much the same, which belies the term "alternative."<br />
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Much closer to the mark would be independently owned weekly newspapers, such as the "Austin Chronicle." But this publication still follows a set format. It publishes no alternative stuff, such as poetry, graffiti art, or outrageous prose penned by local anarchists.<br />
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The most "alternative" publication I have ever encountered was the "Berkeley Barb," which had its heyday from 1965 to 1980 in the Bay Area of California.<br />
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Unfortunately, it has gone the way of the dial telephone and manual typewriters.<br />
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Read more about it here: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Barb">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Barb</a><br />
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<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-75323770934454148032011-09-27T16:04:00.001-05:002011-09-27T16:09:16.845-05:00Blue Lagoon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93Lk6HebA1a191zUD5dW9oh4oeYDv61z10S-9eFIk0J9gzBFGDBKL5NAk1ialaVhAiJ0K4sySiFMuTYvXmn_7WmpqL_sHIURZbyaKURlwR1vnQUlPm6Wx4k9iXg90deViGTj7/s1600/Blue+Lagoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93Lk6HebA1a191zUD5dW9oh4oeYDv61z10S-9eFIk0J9gzBFGDBKL5NAk1ialaVhAiJ0K4sySiFMuTYvXmn_7WmpqL_sHIURZbyaKURlwR1vnQUlPm6Wx4k9iXg90deViGTj7/s320/Blue+Lagoon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold day in February 2010. This photo shot in Ingleside, Texas, at dusk, from a pier over a freshwater pond.</td></tr>
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-49392706730938940972011-06-28T15:41:00.002-05:002011-06-28T15:44:49.163-05:00Stage Three DroughtThere's water in the sky but it's not falling to Earth.<br />Lawns are dried up, the landscape is parched. <br />No relief in sight. We need one of those rainy hurricanes.<br />Or else there'll be no corn for the children when autumn comes.Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16070580845389428618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-58343939982382705722011-02-12T22:12:00.002-06:002011-02-12T22:17:29.516-06:00Truth: Knowledge/Wisdom/Prudence<span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><i><b>"A skeptic & non-believer (agnostic) who is humbly but persistently seeking knowledge is always closer to finding Truth (Wisdom, Prudence) than a Believer."</b></i></span></span></span>paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-62078931531911690992010-12-12T12:03:00.002-06:002010-12-12T12:07:44.342-06:00Our NameI've read a newspaper everyday, perhaps starting with the "funny papers" when I was first learning to read. We didn't have much of a library in our household when I was being formed in Stockdale and Devine, but we always had the San Antonio Express-News, complimented with the San Antonio Light bought at George Vernon Schott's convenience store on Sunday (and of course, several farm magazines). I learned from Paul Thompson and Jack Anderson, and enjoyed Dan Cook and Dan Klepper. ... In more recent years I appreciated immensely, Carlos Guerra and Rick Casey, and here in Seguin it was Michael Cary.<br /><br />I don't always agree with the learned historical scholar, T.R. Fehrenbach, but I very much enjoy and always learn from his columns in the San Antonio Express-News each Sunday. Today I appreciated his piece on "<em>Homo sapiens</em>." <span style="font-size:85%;">www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/columnists/tr_fehrenbach/article/We-aren-t-as-smart-as-we-like-to-believe-874012.php</span> (We aren't as smart as we like to believe")<br /><br />T.R. Fehrenbach provokes by suggesting alternatives for our Latin name ... as have others (e.g., William Catton, Jr. and "<em>Homo colossus</em>" in <em>Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change</em>.). In his column, historian Fehenbach briefly discusses suggestions by others (<em>Zoon politikon</em>, <em>Homo economicus</em>) and after hinting that <em>Homo bellicosus</em> may be an appropriate name, finally settles on <em>Homo sap</em>.<br /><br />This brought back memories of a visit to Sul Ross State University in beautiful Alpine, Texas in the late 1980s, where a retired Marine and Range Science professor--as I recollect--gave a lively lecture on the very challenging impacts to date of humans on the ecosphere. This outspoken flat-topped former Marine thought <em>Homo saphead</em> was an appropriate name for our species.paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-43943447893484404592010-12-12T10:05:00.005-06:002010-12-12T10:32:17.225-06:00Thoughts After Meetings/Discussions Dealing with Conservation and Sustainable Community<strong>From: Foods of the Americas Gathering</strong><br />Our natural resource base and energy sources are finite. Thus there are limits on growth and consumption, ... and if we are going to truly consider quality life for all humans and associated life forms, we have already surpassed these limits. No amount of human creativity, planning, actions can really challenge this situation.<br /><br />Therefore, the only solution is to lower inputs-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">throughputs</span>-outputs for human systems, and conserve, conserve, conserve! Notions that we can continue to rampantly convert Nature & Land to artificial, and that this will be better for Life is "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">hubric"</span> and without scientific basis.<br /><br />"Wes Jackson's claim--that there is now and always be, a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">billionfold</span> gap between our ignorance and our knowledge--reminds us that we are living in an immensely complex natural world. This, combined with the difficulties that we have created with our technology, makes one wonder if there is any reason for hope ... ." ... "... when we temper our optimistic view of the power of knowledge, we are left with a profound and necessary sense of humility and a great and well-grounded hope for the future."<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">From: Joe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Marocco</span> (2008) “Climate Change and the Limits of Knowledge” in The Virtues of Ignorance: Complexity, Sustainability, and the Limits of Knowledge Univ. of Kentucky Press<br /><br /></span></em>We really must lower inputs-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">throughputs</span>-outputs of artificial energy flux & material flow in world systems and subsystems for them to be sustainable re quality life for humans and many other forms of life. We'll have to recognize this and deal with it as local and global "communities" if we are to have holistically resilient and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">healthful</span> systems at all levels of biological hierarchy (cells, tissues, organs, body organ systems, individuals, population, community, ecosystem, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">ecosphere</span>).<br /><br /><strong>From: Food Council Meeting</strong><br />Designated/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">anointed</span> "Green"/"Sustainable" examples ("community" gardens, most conventional organic farms, magnet schools, health and wellness campuses, etc.) which are dependent on high inputs and are truly just "appendages" of a larger broken system, are not the answer for moving toward holistic, comprehensive sustainability involving conservation. Moreover, these so-called "Green"/Sustainable" "exemplars" may temporarily prop up very broken whole systems and delay real movement toward sustainability and long-term health at various systems levels.<br />.................................<br />We shouldn't halt: development of community gardens, organic farming, special schools trying to address specific "needs, various health and wellness efforts, etc. But we do need to overtly recognize their limitations and failings and work hard, agonize, and critically and creatively think about how we might muddle through the ecological mess we've created and truly work toward fixing it/cleaning it up.<br />..................................<br />High input-throughput-output artificial systems (which could be crudely determined by per <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">capita</span> consumption and population numbers) are the cause of the destruction of Nature and healthy life systems. No amount of human creativity (planning/design/implementation) can get around that fact. Therefore it is critical that we proceed cautiously and tentatively toward lower input-throughput-output systems.paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33755338.post-26312161938920698132010-11-27T12:18:00.003-06:002010-11-27T12:47:50.395-06:00On My Gravestone?<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">We should not get so carried away such that our efforts toward sustainability negatively affect our day in and day out quality of life with family and true friends in community. Nevertheless, every action should: </span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">abide by the precautionary principle </span><a href="http://www.pprinciple.net/the_precautionary_principle.html"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">www.pprinciple.net/the_precautionary_principle.html</span></a> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, </span></li><li><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">involve conservation and development of a resilient & sustainable community, and </span></li><li><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">go through a lens of a positively ethical applied community ecology (PEACE). </span></li></ul><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">................</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Strive for a world that is socially just, humane and ecologically sound in the short and long term. </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Live intelligently and <strong>simply</strong>. Take power from the powerful and empower the poor.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Finally, remember War is for a lazy, uneducated and ignorant world.</span>paul bain martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085162888012368351noreply@blogger.com0