Having only a few days off between the end of the summer camp and the daily grind, Kiky and I took advantage and went out for a camping trip in the area. From Vancouver it is obvious that the mountains are only an arms reach away, but to really get into them you need a car. Until the day before we planned on going, this was not an issue. In fact, I had just gotten our 20 year old vehicle tuned up in anticipation for this trip. But alas, hours before our planned departure, calamity struck and we were without vehicle. ot giving up on the idea, Kiky and I got a rental car and departed a day late.
Before environmentalism started to hit the mainstream, there were already global concerns discussed among the governments and decision makers of the world: When will the world get too crowded? Sadly, 1/2 a century of pondering has not really led to much development in this area, at least globally. It has, however, provided us with a wealth of data showing us why the population continues to increase and it which areas. This TEDtalk does an excellent job of summarizing that:
When the problem of population growth is broken down like this, it seem clear that it is not a global problem, but rather a class problem. While the most affluent people have essentially stopped their population growth, those who are in the poorest 1/2 of the world’s population continue to reproduce at alarming rates. It makes sense to me. From a completely selfish standpoint, affluent people insure their golden years are padded with the fruit of their labour, while the poorest have never had the opportunity to save a dime for later. Instead, they rely on their brood to take care of them, and the more kids they have the better a chance they get to be able to relax in their old age.
Education and guarantees of social security in old age are the tools which can solve this issue, and locally Pajoka may be able to offer assistance here. One big issue Pajoka wishes to tackle is a widespread education policy in the area of it’s operation. If sustainability is developed within the communities that Pajoka operates, that would also help with social security. My grandmother, who is now well over 80, has always grown her own vegetables. Many other old people here in Canada do this as a hobby and a way to pass the time. The food provided with this, coupled with free renewable energy means little is needed in terms of resources for the elderly to have a good existence despite having little money.
While browsing the net a while ago, I happened upon this really interesting lecture that had been modified by adding an animated sequence which described what the lecturer is talking about.
The gist of the lecture is to explore what motivates human beings. Soon after starting up, notions that we are purely profit driven are broken into pieces. In fact, based on studies, profits obfuscates cognitive abilities. One concept in this lecture struck me… if money is taken out of the equation (ie. there is no need for money by the employees) then people are able to perform to their best ability.
I have always been a big fan on open source software. Despite all the trouble it has given me over the years, there is something amazing using software built from the heart rather than with wealth in mind. I have always felt that the ingenuity and drive that these open source programmers have is exactly the kind of model we need for many of our world’s problems. Evidently, the guys who made this video feel the same way:
In a world that continuously spouts out propaganda saying that without financial incentives nothing would happen, the open source community has refuted this outright. Any organization that shares their product/knowledge for free with no strings attached should be lauded as part of the new path forward. Competitiveness will cede to collaboration, and ultimately all will benefit from such an attitude.
This week, discussions about whether to allow a start to commercial whaling will start up again. These magnificent animals used to be a common presence hundreds of years ago across the oceans, but their demise was precipitated by their usefulness during the industrial revolution. Whale oil was used as an industrial lubricant, as well as the predominant source of lamp oil. Being so useful to humans caused the majority of whale populations to plummet to critical levels. At the last minute, most humans were able to agree on a moratorium on whaling. It was one of the first successful international environmental movements, but not one that was entirely altruistic. Incidentally, whales were saved through the adoption oil as a substitute. Thus began the age of oil.
While browsing for content to use in online courses, I came upon this website called Earth-Touch. This group essentially broadcasts great HD video taken from wild areas around the world, but mostly from South Africa. They get some really great close up shots from all sort of biomes, and have a variety of styles. Some are narrated, while others have a soundtrack of the ambiance of the scene.
It has been a while since we left Vancouver, so this past weekend up to Whistler to join Ketty and her daughter was greatly appreciated. With pretty much nothing but rain for the past two weeks, even overcast seems like a nice respite. Fortunately, we got more than just that!
I was struck watching this video. It is inevitable that the rapid economic growth of China has resulted in numerous environmental tragedies, but to see it in video is quite striking. I am sure there are numerous places in developing countries which mirror this industrial wasteland. In fact, I recall Romania when we passed through nearly 20 years ago resembled this.
As shocking as this may be, it is that much more disturbing that America is still the number one polluter on the planet. Furthermore, a large part of China’s economic growth can be attributed to western consumerism and multinational corporations looking for cheap labour and lax industrial standards.
Two islands facing each other, with a mere 27 km of saltiness between them, should not be all that different. In Indonesia, however, I have found that these natural barriers create cultural distinctions that are strong and last the test of time. So has been our last leg of the road trip, moving from the eastern areas of Java, onto Indonesia’s most famous island, Bali.
I finally got a video released online! Although it has been a while since we were actually over there on Java, I have not had time to edit the video until now. So, sit back and enjoy some footage of the Javanese countryside…. more will come soon enough!
