Cartoon Copyright Jean Burman 2008
Earth Day came and went here with narry a squeak in my part of the world. In fact… ashamed to say… I didn’t even know it was Earth Day (April 22 for those like me living under a rock ~grin~)
I still would have been none the wiser except for the conversation (in the last topic) straying… as oft it does… to Al Gore. (Okay not always to Al Gore… but conversations there DO stray! LOL) So I googled me old mate Al… to see what he’s been up to recently… and discovered…
Voila… Earth Day!
In my cyber investigations… I stumbled upon an interesting article in the Washington Post detailing measures put in place by various green organisations… and tabling people’s individual and cumulative efforts to bring awareness and conscious change to our problems with the environment.
To date… much of the burden of responsibility for change has been lumped at the feet of the man/woman in the street. And this article was no different.
This has always puzzled me greatly… as it is the man/woman in the street who has the least control over anything… leave alone the ability to make the vast leaps in acknowledgement and acceptance… not to mention faith... that will be required to make any REAL kind of difference… to well… pretty much anything! ~grin~
In fact… in what might prove to be a classic case of one step forward two steps back…the man/woman in the street is being urged (read: coerced) into sacrifices that may or may not make any difference at all in the long run.
Now don’t get me wrong… I’m all for making sacrifices… but first let’s take a closer look… and make sure that the changes we are making will be for the better… and will not contribute further to the demise of our beautiful planet earth!
Some of the changes currently being mooted may even be detrimental to the environment in the long run. Like compact fluorescent light bulbs for instance. These little monsters are yet to prove what a menace they will eventually become in landfills across the planet… not to mention our health!
If you do nothing else… for heaven’s sake… please promise me you will read the above linked report from the EPA regarding the health hazards of CFL’s… what to do about breakages and the protocol for their cleanup. If one of these bulbs breaks it is not just a matter of vacuuming it up! (SCROLL OVER “little monsters” & “our health” above)
No one talks about it. Least of all the lighting companies who know full well the potential for harm these bulbs present… yet stand to make substantial profits from sales of the more expensive bulb. So they’re not saying anything.
When I asked my local lighting shop what I should do to responsibly dispose of the spent bulb… they blithely told me to put it into the household rubbish!
OH… MY… GOD…(!)
Compact fluorescents contain MERCURY.
Inorganic mercury compounds are highly toxic and persistent in the environment. The World Health Organisation has been advising of this for years… and recently put limits upon levels of mercury waste that can be emitted by the health sector into the environment via sewage (and incineration)
As an aside… one would have to wonder why this is so… when it seems to have been perfectly okay for decades.. (and remains perfectly okay to this day)… to place mercury amalgam fillings into our teeth! (SCROLL over for link)
Why weren’t we warned?
Is the environment more important than us?
And surely… if mercury amalgam were to be removed from teeth and replaced with a safer more inert substance… there would be less mercury showing up in the environment via sewage anyway?
WHO here… isn’t connecting the dots?
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jean!
Yes the “new” lights bulbs are a bit of a mystery!!! But I guess the illusive “they” are trying to cut down on the consumption of electricity in order to cut down on the consumption of water (6 of one and half a dozen of the other!!). If the bulbs are not broken the mercury will not escape – but yes…what does happen when these little time bombs find their way into our land fill??? Its an unanswerable quandry!!!!! Which ever way we go here, there is another “problem” raising its ugly head and as per usual, “they” have not considered the consequences of the future. The whole question revolves around the consumers..if we believe we have a demand, then the supply follows. Without the demand the supply will dwindle. Once again we are being made to “think” we need certain products…so we rush out and consume!!! We have been lured into a trap where we have become used to electricity on tap, we have become spoilt brats and cannot “deal” with life, without our luxuries. Yes I do blame the big companies and the media for pumping it down our throats…but the companies would not become big, if we did not buy what they have on offer. I do not think there is a single finger of blame here – we have all contributed.
It just gets more and more complicated, doesn’t it?! And yet…we have to still try. We have to pursue wholesome and practical answers…what’s the alternative? This is a timely article. Last Saturday night my DH said to me…”so I see you are speaking on the Environmental Panel at church tomorrow for the adult forum.” What?! Who me? You’re joking! No one had contacted me and yet…my name was there in the bulletin. I decided, though I had little time to prepare, that this was a terrific opportunity to vent some environmental airs that had been bottled up far too long. Scary? Maybe. But what fun to be a part of a budding environmental movement! We are going to start a environmental stewardship campaign now in our church…looking at environmental disciplines from a different sort of angle…a theological/philosophical one. Hope this works!
Aaahhhh yes Mary!!!! Your news makes me smile big and bright!! GO FOR IT!!!
You make some excellent points, Jean. But don’t you think it’s all a bit academic? Both on an individual and institutional level measures can be taken and life styles changed to lessen our impact on the planet, but the reality is that there are just too many of us. As long as we need to feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves there’s going to be a cost. Food production, packaging, and shipping alone runs a huge deficit. There’s just no way we can possibly, as a species, give back what we take in so many different ways, and so nature’s balance is inevitably going to be further and further out of whack. Global warming (what I prefer to call “global harming”) is just one of the ways the planet’s immune system is struggling to deal with the human infestation that has become too much for it to handle. The only answer for me personally is to try and live as efficiently as I can, not to change the world or the habits of others, but because it feels right.
Hi John! I do agree that there are just way too many of us here and our planet is not coping with the strain of the burden. Educating others to become more aware is the only way we can go. To lessen the impact of our “global harming” may not save us, but we cannot sit on our hands and watch. I often think of how simply we used to live, how the issue of packaging and pollution had not been an issue because it did not exist (I am talking many generations ago!!!) It is exactly what I was talking about in a previous thread here. Because the pace of our world has been on an increase and is still speeding up even more…there seems to be an even greater hunger to rape our land for the minerals and “precious” metals that we adorn ourselves with or turn into products that we feel we have the right to “own”! life IS simple…It is we humans that complicate it and destroy it – I fully include myself within that cycle. I guess in my “rambling” here..I am trying to say that appreciation and protection of what we have left is paramount and without “team” work…what we do have will not last much longer.
JOOLS QUOTE Yes I do blame the big companies and the media for pumping it down our throats…but the companies would not become big, if we did not buy what they have on offer. I do not think there is a single finger of blame here – we have all contributed.UNQUOTE
So sorry you missed my point here Jools. My fault though I guess for not spelling it out clearly enough. Were you aware that compact fluorescents will become law in this country within the next year or so? Consumers have not.. and will not have a choice… I’m sorry to say!
JOOLS QUOTE But I guess the illusive “they” are trying to cut down on the consumption of electricity in order to cut down on the consumption of water (6 of one and half a dozen of the other!!) UNQUOTE
No Jools… nothing to do with saving water… it’s even more clear cut than that. The compact fluorescent (longlife) bulbs burn “cooler” than regular incandescent bulbs. The thinking goes that there will be a cumulative effect if everyone switches to the cooler bulb. Yes… “they” are probably right in this… but what I am asking is “at what price” will it come?
To my knowledge absolutely NO research or impact study has been done on the potential harm these bulbs may do in the environment… and no warnings or advice have so far been issued for their safe use and disposal within homes and offices.
Like so much deja vu… it’s the DDT… tobacco… asbestos… and (in good time) mobile phone technology story all over again. All great advances ushered in with great fanfare… and phased out under wraps because of their dangers discovered “after the fact”. Maybe someone should have got it right BEFORE the fact.
I make no apology for finger pointing at authorities (the elusive “they” you mention) who really should “get it right” before releasing any product onto the market.
What a wonderful initiative Mary! You know I am all for each and everyone of us pulling our weight to do what we can for the environment (and for each other whenever we can). I will look forward to hearing some more about how it went. Can we expect a report back here in due course?
John… yes… there are too many of us. And that’s definitely at the heart of the greater problem. That one’s definitely out of our control… not much you and I can do about it… but nature has her way… and has done so before to reduce our numbers when she sees fit.
Re: what we “can” do about it. I guess we all know what the problems are… it’s just that no-one quite has the answers yet. And that’s where innovative thought and progressive initiatives come into the equation.
We need new answers to old problems. And we shouldn’t be throwing any old solution in the direction of a problem in the hope it’s gonna stick.
Introducing legislation to make CFLs mandatory is pretty short sighted… and I would venture to say… a knee jerk response from Government to do something…. ANYTHING… in their efforts to be seen to be becoming environmentally conscious (and dare I say it politically correct?) This solution is not so clean and green. And it should not be introduced until the benefits have been weighed against the potential hazards… to the environment and humankind.
Afterthough: I wonder if it has occurred to “them” that while we’re all changing our lightbulbs… coal fired power stations continue to belch billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere…. just so we can switch them on! Does seem just a tad ironic doesn’t it? ~grin~
Oh okay… I concede we will require “slightly less” electricity to switch them on… but is that really the point? Solutions like this one are a mere piddle in the ocean.
More finger pointing here… but where are the truly great thinkers with the grand schemes for solar panels across the central vastness of this wide brown land where the sun shines 365 days a year… and where is the Industry and Government funding for wind power generating initiatives utilising (say for example) the infamous roaring forties straight off the southern ocean? And who says we have to have windmills… why not funnels… or tunnels… or any number of other innovative (as yet un-thought-of) means of harnessing the forces of nature?
No… what we have instead… is someone’s bright idea for a lightbulb change. Seems somehow pale by comparison eh? And somehow lands responsibility right back at the consumer’s feet. Oh well… I guess it keeps us all busy “doing the right thing”… while “they” get on with business as usual. LOL
Jean ..I feel ignorant and in the shadow of your research – but I trust your information. I have had many concerns about other products that we all seem to take for granted. One in particular that I do not like is sunscreen – I much prefer to cover up or simply just stay out of the sun. Sunscreen applied directly to our largest organ, where it can soak into our blood stream has my imagination on full alert!! What kind of tests can they do to guarantee that the chemicals used in sunscreen are not affecting other parts of our body? There are many other “beauty” products that literally make my skin crawl and I see so many women “spend up BIG” on these things totally trusting the advertising that is intended not to inform us…but to lure us into believing we can stay beautiful forever! In the orcharding industry it is now mandatory for orchardists to wear masks and protective clothing when spraying their crops of fruit…this has only been in the last 15 yrs. I have memories of watching people spraying heavy metals in nothing but a pair of shorts and becoming totally drenched in the spray they are using to kill insects! I have seen many products and practices within Agriculture, that would truly shock most “consumers”…and have been kept secret. We have been “lab rats” for years and never knew!! Makes me think of the Russell Crowe film.. “The Insider”!! Its scarey stuff alright. I would like to be able to be self sufficient (have almost been able to do it in the past)..but “they” are warning people not to grow backyard vegies anymore due to the unknown pollutants that may still be in the soil..leached from another source or purely from landfill that has been brought in from another area when homes had been built, that now makes me think of another film..Mel Gibson “The Conspiracy Theory”…art immitating life???? The China Sydrome, Ellen Brokovich..the list goes on!
Jools… you could get your soil tested. Home grown veges are definitely going to be the way of the future as food on the planet becomes more and more scarce… and consequently more and more expensive. It’s started already with rice. Food shortages will be the next big thing we will all have to deal with. Seems inconceivable in a world where we have been used to having “plenty”… but sadly… food wars may become a reality not too far fetched…nor too far off into the distant future. Fuel costs have affected every aspect of our lives… but shortage of food no doubt… will be the spinoff effect with the most impact.
I have never liked sunscreen either. Like you… have always thought there was something fundamentally wrong with slathering chemicals onto the skin. I’d rather take my chances with the sun… cover up when I’m out in it… which is never too long in this hot climate!
Kids have been indoctrinated from a very early age… I know teenagers who would rather pay for a spray tan than spend 5 minutes a day in the sun… so frightened are they of the sun’s effects. Who knows what the long term ramifications of that might be.
I had a friend with very fair skin who slathered herself in sunscreen every day of her relatively short life… covered up from head to toe… and died from a melanoma that Doctor’s were never able to find.
Now there is discussion about the numbers of people living with Vitamin D deficiencies in a comparatively sunny country like Australia. Where do we get Vitamin D from? The sun.
Once again authorities and experts have done a number on us… (esp.kids) instilling fear (in my view disproportionate to the threat)… in the hearts and minds of the people. Whatever would be wrong with simply instilling a healthy respect?
Here, here Jean!! Moderation is the key! Excessive amounts of anything, is NOT a good thing!
Having been a gardener and a worker “outside” most of my life…I have spent many hours in the sun and yes…I can see the damage of that in my face more than anywhere else. But….I see people who slather themselves in SPF 30 (phoof..how much chemical is that???) and they still end up getting burnt! I have always had a trusted and much loved Akubra hat, with a wide brim…my face is actually pretty good!! Many melanomas are concealed in the hair on our head…when I see people wearing those silly visors (the ones where there is only a peak at the front and no cover for the scalp)..I think “what the…?” Are they trying to look cool, or trying to look cool????? There is no other reason you would wear them!
The time of day we choose to spend time in the sun is very important too. It makes sense that the sun is more intense when it is directly above..from midday until about 3pm is the time the “grill” is on high and we cook far more quickly!
Losing our trees is an enormous issue here, not only do they clean our air for us, keep our soil from blowing away and provide homes for other creatures, but they provide shade and shelter for us as well. Too many times I have seen livestock in paddocks without a single tree..these poor creatures have been locked in a “solarium” with no relief what so ever – now that makes me very angry!!! It was the idea that “clearing” was good, (many years ago!!), made more space for more crops or more grazing area…to grow more and more and more.It is only in recent times that we have realised what a major league mistake this was!! Every Australia Day (except for the last one!!) I had made a point of planting a tree somewhere..anywhere!! I have been involved in many mass plantings of trees both in rural and residential situations (have camped out for weeks at a time in the bush, planting mini forests!! Now that was “a feel good” activity!!) There is a place in Cape York (Far North Queensland) where “they” tested a small atomic bomb during the 2nd WW – that “test” cleared ten acres of virgin rainforest and it has STILL not regenerated..what does this tell us?????
I did some scratching around on this Jools… and came up with this clip from the original propoganda film made for Operation Blowdown carried out on Cape York back in 1963. The official line is that the explosives used had no nuclear component… but anecdotal evidence from some of those on the ground has suggested otherwise.
Here’s the link for anyone interested: Operation Blowdown
There are many questions left unanswered here… but one thing I am now certain of….
“man’s utter stupidity… whilst knowing no bounds… is nothing new!” LOL
My best guess is that the large explosion was the result of a fuel air Bomb. It got some attention here in the states. At the right (wrong) mixture these can literally sterilize. I am back from the trip to Croatia and Venice with three full sketchbooks. roger
Hey Roger… welcome back!
Yes… they mention TNT up a 42ft tower! What puzzles me is… why they cleared the site with bulldozers first. If in fact they wanted to find out what happened to the rainforest during an explosion of nuclear magnitude… why clear the forest first?
The test was apparently a collaborative between the US Canada Britain and Australia. The Vietnam war was in full swing but Australia had yet to commit troops. Interesting times.
Hi Roger..good to see you back safe and sound!
Jean..that film clip made me feel sick! Some of those men were smiling and actually cheered when that bomb went off!! I did not remember which war it was (thought it was WW2!) that this was done, but I was up there myself 22 years ago and was just stunned with not only this enormous gaping hole in the rainforest, but also with the “army litter” (44 gallon drums, bottle dumps and old camp sites) that was still there lying around the beaches and rainforest, rusting and rotting without anyone else around to care! There was also an area called Portland Roads, where in the headland right on the edge of the coastline, were permanent “bunkers” carved into the hill. This was supposedly the most eastern point of Australia where they could detect enemy emergence in our waters. It seemed ludicrous to me, that such a beautiful and peaceful place could have so many scars. It still does… probably even more so.
Sounds like the area is ripe for rehabilitation Jools. In all likelihood there are probably not many people who even remember this test… and back then people mostly had the attitude that if it was in the national interest… it must be carried out. I’d like to think that today… the area might be at least cleaned up… but as you say… there is probably no coming back from the destruction to the natural environment that this thing has caused.
I have my doubts Jean..which makes me enormously sad as you could well imagine! In this area there is also a “patch” of palms called Nypa palms – I do not know if this is still the case now..but these particular palms could only be found in that one particular place in the whole world! I do hope they are still there!!!
I just googled the Nypa palm..and thankfully they can be found in The Northern Territory as well as places such a Sri Lanka – I’m much happier now!! But it still remains to be a topic we should keep fresh in our minds and hearts!
The foxtail palm has a similar story. Wodyetia bifurcata (named for the Aboriginal bushman Wodyeti) are native to the Bathurst Bay/Melville Range area of Cape York Peninsula and up until the early 80s they could only be found in this one small remote location.
http://www.palmplantations.com.au/discovery.html
Now they are growing in almost every country of the world… in parks and gardens across Europe and the Americas…. Africa… India… you name it. After an early history of theft from the National Park and illegal seed smuggling by unscrupulous operators… the Australian Government introduced licensing of accredited plantations and nurseries and required each seed (and seedling) be registered and accounted for. Our once small family operation grew up out of a demand which often outstripped supply for this rare seed. With each and every seed needing to be hand-picked cleaned dried and packed for shipping… sometimes it was all hands on deck!
With all the talk these days of reducing our carbon footprint… I often think about the fingerprints we no doubt left behind on each and every seed… and those millions of trees now growing in far-flung places across the planet. Awesome humbling stuff.
I did not know that about the foxtail palm Jean..I had several of them in my garden in Atherton! The relocation of species of flora is a good thing, at least the plant is still in existence. However, changing cycles and geography of plants can cause unforeseen dramas as well…just look at our gum trees in California! Another “offshoot” to that thought, is the introduction of cane toads to Australia, brought in to eat bugs that infest sugarcane, the “idea” was nice, but…hmmm, they did not see that one coming did they??? Cane toads have now been found as far south as Sydney!! Plus the water buffalo in Cape York and the Northern Territory..the damage they have caused is insurmountable. But…then they discovered that the water buffalo actually controlled a native water weed, which began to clog up the waterways without the buffalo eating it!! . Camels, foxes, goats, sparrows starlings, rabbits all introduced either with or without thought…all massive problems! How would “they” know that this would all happen? The saying “when in Rome, do as the Romans do!” really applies.
If it was earlier than the mid 90s that you had them growing in your garden Jools… then there’s a fair chance they were grown from seeds smuggled out of the Cape Melville National Park! LOL
Not sure what sharing our unique botany with the world and the reckless and uninformed introduction of pests such as the cane toad have in common… but nonetheless in the spirit of the conversation… it’s difficult to understand why so called experts in the field introduced such flawed initiatives as the cane toad… water buffalo etc. But it’s probably a similar story to the compact fluorescent light … the powers-that-be seem to prefer the “let’s suck it and see” approach to such things…. (along with it’s inevitable pitfalls)
And we aren’t done with the nonsense yet.
Scientists are meeting here as we speak to discuss the introduction of “super corals” onto the Great Barrier Reef. [How the Reef managed for a gazzillion years all by itself one has to wonder!] LOL But experts say these super corals will be tougher and better able to tolerate bleaching… as a result of global warming. [I have a question: "correct me if I'm wrong... but if sea levels are supposed to rise... wouldn't that make the water deeper... making the coral LESS prone to bleaching?"]
Next thing we know… the reef will be overrun by super coral… and scientists will be seeking funding from Government to “fix the problem”. Watch this space! LOL
Oh… what a wicked web we weave when first we practise to deceive…
Oh my God jean…my jaw just hit the floor!! Super coral…(expletive!!!) what the hell are they thinking?…..have they not learned that we just need to leave things alone! That in fact, the world does look after us by – what is… where it is!
No Jean, my garden up there was in 2002…phew!!
I thought the conversation was about the environment…that covers everything????
Relax Jools… yes it was!
It’s a gigantic topic though… and way too big to chew off in one mouthful here! LOL (Although knowing you and me we will continue to try!) (((LOL)))
The thrust here (I guess) was to highlight the issue of CFLs… with the sincere hope that by bringing this topic out into the light… people might have the courage to judge for themselves… to “speak up” and ask questions… when they don’t like the sound of changes being forced upon them en masse. Fluoride is another big one coming our way without consultation in Queensland. The list gets longer!
Basically I guess… it’s the demise of our democratic right “to choose” which is the big issue here for me (I know I know… it’s another VERY big topic! ) LOL
Yes..I understand Jean.
We have had fluoride in our water here in Orange since the sixties..some claim it has helped with dental health…some say not! My teeth could probably be better, but they are not too bad. I don’t know…I want to, not eaxctly save the planet (thats far too big..even for me – Lol!)…just want people to love it more.
Me too Jools
Re: Fluoride. I would challenge the authorities to ban the consumption of soft drinks (soda) way before they consider the compulsory introduction of fluoride. Then lets see the difference that makes to children’s teeth… not to mention the current epidemic of childhood obesity! Two birds with one stone and all that! (Man… there I go again…)
chuckles
Too much money to be lost with the ban of soft drinks Jean! Nice thought though!
Precisely…
I rest my case… LOL
Hello again,for years I (being a water dept employee) had an ongoing fight re the fluoride as I maintained I’d rather have “Wally”teeth then cancer .How ironic now as my diabetes has ruined my once perfect ,yes perfect teeth. Mass medication is NOT the way .A Glasgow grannie took the official bodies to court and that incident of fluoride was not carried on .
Our north west coast is currently under siege of the MOD bombing an island and straffing other designated targets all in the countrys interest (what country England ?) Lambing time ,shepherds tired out can’t get rest for the noise is the least of the trouble I really wish they would take their toys and practise somwhere else .We have been afraid at every noise,bang or anything out of the ordinary with Faslane on our doorstep . Are we Scots not equal to any other human being as far as our care goes ………A Scot for a PM and he can’t wait to wear a red cross on his head …….( a wee note I have spent week-ends in his family home in the past but have never tried to find out if there was a connection ) Sorry for the tartan rant
Elinor… surely you have some avenue of complaint for activities that disturb the peace (and peace of mind) so comprehensively? What about your local Member? Go get em girl! LOL
Re: fluoride. I say… good on that Glasgow grannie! She knew a thing or two about this mindless practise. Cos no-one in their right mind would introduce such draconian and misguided measures to reduce tooth decay… esp. in this day and age. Most of the world is moving away from the practise.
Not here though.
Here… in a desperate knee jerk response to the burgeoning problem of sugar overconsumption… the authorities… yes the ubiquitous “they” spoken of… seem prepared to do anything… rather than address the “root” cause of the problem.
But as always… it isn’t until rates of devastating disease (such as cancer) blow out and start killing people in droves (clusters)… that associated health concerns are raised. Oddly… cancer continues to be viewed as a disease that simply falls from the sky in a rotten case of bad luck. It has nothing to do with us… our lifestyle… our poor food choices… or the chemicals persistent in our environment. Or does it?
This is the question I’d like “authorities” to ask themselves… and then provide comprehensive answers for…. before introducing anything further into our already overburdened food chain.
And I make no apology for expecting Government to do what they are paid to do… represent the people… and respect their views. The belligerent railroading of legislation that will affect us all is totally unacceptable in a democratic society.
That people should take responsibility for themselves and their own health… naturally… goes without saying.
Hi Elinor..great to see you here! I understand the way you are feeling, in regards to being in the “fallout”. Sometimes I wonder when the mentality of a certain country will stop thinking of Ireland, Scotland and Australia as “colonies”!!…but as countries in their own right…just a thought!
Jean..I think that probably a “simple” solution for the water “situation”..would be to get a rainwater tank and only, drink from that..you can be sure then.
Fall out Jools ,fall out we can’t filter out the air carried chems.
Jean the areas concerned did have meetings but only to TELL them what was to happen and NOT accept complaints . There are still marches and protests in Faslane .Breakins to the site etc etc. My son is at present fighting the decision to transport a forest on enormous lorries right past his home ….on a very narrow road with a right angled bend at the foot of the hill (CHEAPEST option)
Another hoot from the brass hats was ….when our ambulance (ie when we had one )
was being reorganised we were told that “The paramedics will have a Thursday off as YOU HAVE NOT CALLED OUT AN AMBULANCE ON A THURSDAY FOR FIVE YEARS ”
The audience hooted but he didn’t admit he was joking and that did come to pass
to the point that if we did see them in the village shopping even we would give a shout that it was Thursday .
Elinor… I love your tartan rants! What are we if we don’t have spirit! Make mine on the rocks if you will… the sun’s just gone over the yard arm here and I could sure use a drink… after many a failed attempt in past days to negotiate my way through this topic!
LOL
They build ‘em tough in Scotland!!