Weather, Climate Change, Sunshine

This week I saw a documentary: A Fierce Green Fire

“The Battle for the Living Planet, narrated by Robert Redford, Ashley Judd, Van Jones, Isabel Allende and Meryl Streep. It is the largest movement the world has ever seen, it may also be the most important – in terms of what’s at stake. Yet it’s not easy being green. Environmentalists have been reviled as much as revered, for being killjoys and Cassandras. Every battle begins as a lost cause and even the victories have to be fought for again and again. Still, environmentalism is one of the great social innovations of the twentieth century, and one of the keys to the twenty-first. It has arisen at a key juncture in history, when humans have come to rival nature as a power determining the fate of the earth.” [from IDMB]

The most striking part was probably the history, and the evidence from old footage (remember Greenpeace and its first fight with the whalers), which showed in a devastating way how early warnings (global warming, destruction of rainforests, loss of species, etc etc) were utterly ignored, and the whistle blowers were considered a variety of idiot, crank, troublemaker etc. depending a bit on how they tried to give their message. But, however they tried to give it, very very few wanted to listen.

Fifty years on, what they said is standard stuff. The planet is warming, the sea-level is rising, there is a hole in the ozone layer. We all dutifully put our garbage into sorted out piles and hope someone somewhere knows what to do with it.

What else did I do this week, apart from the usual walks and cycle rides?

Singing early on Wednesday, just after sunrise at the north end, readers just imagine the view over the sound, and the sound we make, because I don’t bring the phone to singing.

Visit to the Island Free Library – just books? Well, no, also watched their showing of Zero Dark Thirty (yuk…story of CIA operatives chasing Bin Laden) and chatting to toddlers fascinated by the chicks (photo below). And, visited “Goose and Garden” which Heather has re-opened to let us islanders mess around with soil and plants and flowers – replacing all those the deer have eaten – they had better not climb to my deck. I have enough trouble deciding whether to watch the birds or chase them off my seeded boxes.

Two deer happily enjoying the good weather out and about – though they do run away as I take the photo

The chicks hatched at the Island Free Library – they will go to a free range farm soon

view from the deck to High Street

The work zone, before planting

The sunny spot, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, basil, parsley and more

When I step outside the door, see the pansies, smell the allyssum

So, what is it that we can do about climate change?

Enjoy the sunshine when it comes…

The world in which Zero Dark Thirty can be made, and the world where the toddler played with the chicks, is the same world. Learn to listen, and listen again, it will be desperately sad if humans die and suffer doing so, but I do not think it will be the end of the world. I do think maybe everyone needs to think politically and become activist as and where they can. See “A Fierce Green Fire” if you get the chance to do so. I don’t want us to die screaming as many in the Zero Dark Thirty world do.

Posted in response to Sidey’s theme “Sunshine”, particularly what she wrote about her friends and their rivalry re the weather they have been having. I also found an interesting post about acceptance and enjoyment on Living Self – worth a look.

Related articles

• Mark Kitchell’s ‘Fierce Green Fire’ (sfgate.com)
• Climate change causes extreme weather (bigpondnews.com)
• Climate change bill advances with amendments (journalstar.com)
• Good Question: Is ‘Global Warming’ The Wrong Term To Use? (minnesota.cbslocal.com)