Artsy Fartsy

Compact City

Somewhere I have more of these wee drawings - some nicely coloured inside the lines - of compact towns with rocks and trees and wilderness close at hand. They were inspired by the Corporation of the City of Londontown, a shamefully low, flat city that stretches wastefully toward the edges of the known universe, spreading its miles of tarmac and concrete and costly infrastructure outward without reason.

Link to Zoom w a View

Photo GH

Motorcycle Miles

'small, quick, economical commuting machines'

["Even my motorcycle, hiding behind 4th car, cost me $$ to park in Ottawa recently"]

I do like my motorcycle and my other two-wheelers and I know that sometime in the future, maybe sooner than I think, I will have to make some changes in the number of toys I currently own. For example, as I age I will need more functional storage because it will become harder to lift my CCM bicycle off hooks in the ceiling of The Annex in my backyard. And as the price of fuel rises, surely I will feel inclined to consider a smaller, more economical motorcycle over my 1100cc Yamaha.

From where I stand, we North Americans will soon have to make adjustments, due to fuel costs, to the number and size of vehicles we own and operate, if we have not done so already. I am certain small, quick, economical commuting machines will be more-widely considered than today as an intermediate option to travel (before facing the harshest of realities). Sharing vehicles too will be considered as an intermediate option.

But we will be very slow to give up on the chief cause of rising fuel costs - our desire to have gas-fuelled machines in every driveway for almost every person in North America.

That being said, we should begin to talk now about modes of transportation for the masses, as well as new types of communities built to conserve all forms of present-day fuels. Walking communities, solar- or geo-thermal powered communities where conservation of energy is the topic of the day.

Conservation of energy, today, is not chiefly on our minds. We still are chiefly considering personal (for me) forms of transportation as if the rising price of fuel is not leading us toward an energy crisis where the wealthy will win and the masses will be stuck in the mud, or in far-distant subdivisions, filled w fuel-driven needs.

Time to talk.

Link to more Motorcycle Miles

Photos GH

controversy vs conservation

[Recent London Free Press article]

Electricity rates are going north soon and the increase will raise the level of rhetoric and controversy in parliament halls and around kitchen tables, coffee shops and other places people gather.

"The increase is needed for infrastructure," some will say. "It's an assault on our hearts and wallets," others will say.

I say, lost in the controversy and shouting will be a simple message: Conservation of energy resources will easily save you $3.63 per month. Stop complaining, save your energy.

Whether it's oil or electricity, our energy demands are unsustainable. Our resources are not limitless. 

Photos and cartoon by GH

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Please click here to read 'let's give our head a shake'

Climate Change Concerns: London's wet, mlld winters

For many years London, Ontario found itself at the center of a toxic triangle. We heard much about high CO2 measurements found in Sarnia (thank you to Chemical Valley), centres along the north shore of Lake Erie (thank you to many coal-fire energy plants in the Ohio Valley) and Burlington (thank you to Hamilton). We knew about high numbers of smog days in the summer.

["London is known for wet, warm winters" Photo by GH]

Now we find ourselves in the center of a cold conservative circle, where in spite of much evidence to the contrary, the average citizen is expected to believe that global warming is a thing of the distant past, and the cooling trend a few people have heard about somewhere should become cause for much celebration.

  ["Link to NASA for hot news."] 

Though it isn't rocket science to read thermometers at 100s of meteorological centers around the world, record temperatures year by year on land and water, and average the results, I still like to seek out information from NASA, and not people within the cold conservative circle. Though 2011 may have been cooler than the previous year, on average, it still ranks as one of the top ten hottest years in the last 100 years. (Only 8 years have been warmer since 1880). We've experienced cool years on occasion in the past, but the trend since 1908 cannot be denied.

I feel a much smaller lifestyle is in order and the best purchase for the future is a small home or apartment near a bus stop. After a few more hot years or wet, mild winters, more people will likely agree.

***

The only thing that might be cooling is the amount of news about climate change in conservative newspapers. Do you know of one?

Please click here for more Climate Change Concerns

London Water Bill: “We will pay more for water” PT 3

My plan about London’s water rate increases is brilliant in so many ways. Small users catch a break because they conserve, medium users are encouraged to become small users, and large users - people and businesses that use the most water and put the biggest demands on infrastructure - pay more for the privilege.

“It will cost more to water my big lawn.”

“It will cost more to wash my car.”

“It will cost more to fill my pool.”

“It will cost more to send my kids swimming.”

“The price of golf will go up.”

“The price of beer will go up.”

True, some users will pay more for some household duties and recreational activities.

In my opinion, some increases are long overdue.

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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What other activities will cost more? 

Please click here to read London Water Bill: “We will pay more for water” PT 2

London Water Bill: “We will all pay more for water” PT 2

Londoners will all one day pay more for water. But how much?

Before the official word comes down from City Hall, I propose a plan that continues to reward small users and - at the same time - encourages the medium user to reduce H2O consumption.

The plan also encourages the careless user - whether ‘medium’ or ‘large’ - to try harder to reduce, in order to save money at least.

Of course, there will be complaints.

See the ‘Complaints Department’. (Coming soon).

[Photo of brilliant plan by G.Harrison]

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What will be the first complaint?

Please click here to read London Water Bill: “We will all pay more for water” PT 1

Climate Change Concerns PT 1: “Scrap iron”

[“Iron out our problems?” August 16, London Free Press]

Should we add iron to our oceans - to sink CO2 to the ocean floor, maybe - or try something easier and proven to be far more effective? 

[“Is there an easier way to reduce carbon?”]

[“Hopefully?”]

[CONS: “There’s so much we don’t know, but...”]

But, surely there’s an easier, effective way to reduce carbon. Hmmmm... scratchin’ my chin here.

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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Please click here for more Climate Change Concerns.

Canada's Global Warming File PT 1: Peter Kent vs Al Kent

Two Kents aim at targets. Who will win?

Peter Kent. Canadian federal Conservative Environment Minister. Aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Al Kent. Canadian camper. Aims at box toilet.

[Carbon chart by G.Harrison]

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Please click here for more It Strikes Me Funny

Climate Change Concerns PT 4: “Buy less carbon”

Bet on climate change and severe weather havoc.

Also, save $1.00 per day (or more) and lower your carbon emissions. 

$1 x 7 billion per day = financial savings, and more. 

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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Please click here to read Climate Change Concerns PT 3: “Telltale signs of crime”

Click on ‘line one link’ to read recent news article about “betting on climate change” by Gwynne Dyer (July 14, London Free Press)

Climate Change Concerns PT 3: “Telltale signs of crime”

Extreme weather events will become more extreme. Bet on it.

Our fingerprints are all over the crime scene.

[Photos by G.Harrison] 

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Please click here to read Climate Change Concerns PT 2 and link to Gwynne Dyer’s recent article re climate. 

This Old Economist: “Europe’s woes relate to North American lifestyles” Pt 2

["We're eating our planet too quickly"]

As an old economist (and highly qualified - I have a university degree and a valid library card) I often say some brilliant things. To be precise, I said three brilliant things yesterday in Pt 1.

One. “We’re all in this pea soup together, so as Europe's economy falters North America's declines as well, and here in Canada, citizens will have to re-adjust the Canadian Dream downward - if they haven’t done so already.”

No matter how good “our fundamentals” are, i.e., according to Line Dance Minister Jim Flaherty, Canada is up to his arm pits in the mire of the global economy and many of our big export customers aren’t doing so well right now and may never return to their former glory. Canadians who believe bigger is better and that consumer goods are the way to happiness may need to re-adjust their dreams downward - more than a titch - in the near future. (And ‘right now’ would be a good idea, in my opinion). 

Two. “I propose we quickly reduce personal and household spending, pay down debts and save money for tough times ahead (just like ants, who put away supplies for the winter).”

I believe those three bits of sound financial advice form the basis of a world economy that fits the planet’s ability to feed, clothe and shelter us in a sustainable manner. Not that many will listen or adhere to advice so simple (while rain forests are cleared to make room for cattle feed), but I give it anyway (i.e., to humans. Ants already know how to handle tough times). 

Three. “Living with less now will produce many positive benefits in the future.”

Most of the resources required to feed, clothe and shelter 7 billion humans today are used in excess, especially in countries considered the wealthiest 10 per cent. In 10 years, when the population will be 8 billion and rising, global shortages of food, water, building materials, etc. will raise many concerns, but those who voluntarily practice conservation methods today will be better prepared for the thin times.

Reduce spending and enjoy the following benefits:

you’ll spend less time and money shopping

you’ll have more time for family and friends

you’ll have more money to pay down debt

you’ll spend less time in the car

you’ll save money on gasoline

In ‘A Short History of Progress’ by R. Wright we read “when guano deposits and other natural fertilizers were exhausted, commercial farming became almost entirely dependent on chemical fertilizers made from oil and gas. Fossil energy not only powers but feeds the modern world. We are literally eating oil.” pg. 115

by reducing spending you’ll eat less oil

you’ll have more money for your savings account

you’ll have more time for inexpensive hobbies, e.g., gardening, bicycling

you’ll save more money by gardening, bicycling

you’ll develop new muscles by exercising

your body will look healthier

you’ll feel healthier

In ‘A Short History of Progress’ by R. Wright we read “ecological markers suggest that in the early 1960s, humans were using about 70 per cent of nature’s yearly output; by the early 1980s, we’d reached 100 per cent; and in 1999, we were at 125 per cent. Such numbers may be imprecise, but their trend is clear - they mark the road to bankruptcy.” (pg. 129)

by reducing spending you’ll feel you’re not bankrupting yourself or the planet

you’ll develop peace of mind by reducing CO2 emissions, slowing the trend toward higher temperatures and saving the planet

you’ll become less of a slave to things, material goods, and unsustainable consumption

your life will become simpler

you’ll smile more often

you’ll put your feet up more often and like it

Reduce your debts and enjoy the following benefits:

you’ll feel peace of mind and less weight on your shoulders

you’ll receive fewer bills or threats in the mail

you’ll be able to do less juggling of chainsaws (i.e., personal finances)

you’ll sleep easier

you’ll rejoice when the MINIMUM PAYMENT is zero

you’ll be free from vexing mathematical dilemmas associated with credit cards, e.g., “what is 19.5 per cent of the price of a big screen TV, charged monthly for 4.6 years?”

as debt declines you’ll realize that one day you’ll be paying yourself and not a faceless, excessively rich corporation

you’ll feel that you’re finally occupying your own house, not the bank’s house

you’ll smile more often

you’ll hear unusual but satisfying questions, e.g., “why is Dad or Mom smiling more often?”

Save money for tough times and enjoy the following benefits:

you’ll grow tougher along with the times

you’ll have cash as prices increase

credit card companies cannot charge you 19.5 per cent interest rate on your cash

you’ll have money or a cushion in case of an emergency

you’ll develop a feeling of self-confidence, self-reliance

you’ll develop a healthier attitude about life on earth

you’ll become wiser and more selective about consumption

you’ll feel more whole

[Cartoons by G.Harrison]


***

Sure, I’m just scratching the surface.

Please click here to read This Old Economist: “Europe’s woes relate to North American lifestyles” Pt1

Climate Change Concerns: Londoners are now ‘six-planet’ consumers

[“Success in 2100 would be a world in which a recognizable descendant of our current civilization is still thriving.” Gwynne Dyer, Mar. 22, London Free Press]

We have been taught to live for today by many avid instructors: Government and business leaders, media and economists, parents, family members and friends, and even by our own thirsts. Conservation (or a philosophy to ‘live small’) is not our cup of tea, or at least not for the majority. To most, it might even be for babies.


["Are we riding too fast?": photo by GH]

However, a recent newspaper article by Gwynne Dyer suggests we are on the wrong path, even here in the very heart of south western Ontario, i.e., London.

“Unfortunately, the way we are living is not sustainable. We have taken too much land out of the natural cycles in order to grow our own food on it. We are destroying the world's major fish populations through overfishing and pollution. We also are driving most of the larger land animals to extinction.” (March 22, The London Free Press)

Dyer says nothing about our extravagant use of water but he easily could have, simply by sharing a few details from a recent United Nations study that calls for a very close look at global water management policies, and says that the demand from agriculture, an industry that currently uses around 70% of the world’s freshwater, is likely to increase by about 20% by 2050, due to population growth on planet earth, i.e., from seven billion (the present level) to nine billion.

Dyer describes our current situation as “a six-planet civilization.” By that he means we require six Earths “to sustain the present human population in the high-energy, high-consumption style that is the hallmark of the current global civilization.” And for no other reason, in my opinion, than to provide a bit of comic relief, he goes on to say, “And for the foreseeable future we will have only one planet, not six.”

Six planets. Here we are in 2012 living as if we have six Earths from which to draw resources. And for those who haven’t been paying much attention, it was only about 15 years ago that the phrase “five-planet consumption” was first bandied about in the news. Really, in only 15 years our population and overall consumption has grown to such a degree that another Earth is needed to sustain us in the lifestyle we so richly deserve.

However, I think it goes without saying, “for the foreseeable future we will have only one planet.”

These few details make me wonder if we should take a closer look at our ‘live for today’ philosophy.

Please click here to read Gwynne Dyer’s full article.

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Please click here for more Climate Change Concerns.

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Climate Change Concerns: PT 3 “Water, water everywhere?”

Without a doubt, I say “water, water is not everywhere” and our demands are growing from all quarters.

A growing population is an irresistible force upon a finite resource. As is agriculture, energy development and use, sanitation needs, our thirst for recreation, cooking requirements, and more.


Many topics related to water conservation will be discussed: A reduced population. Rationing. 90 second showers. Composting toilets. Meatless meals. Smaller food portions. Smaller homes, furnishings, appliances. Reduced spending on all goods. Bottled water bans. Fossil fuel reductions. Oilsands withdrawal. Swimming pool closures. Rain water for gardens. “No Golf” Days. Etcetera. (No stone will be left unturned.)

Some attempts at conservation will be made. I predict, however, almost all will be touched by crisis.

Drink up?

[Photo of Pancake Bay by GHarrison]

***

Please click here to read the following:

Climate Change Concerns: PT 1 “Water, water everywhere?”

Climate Change Concerns: PT 2 “Water, water everywhere?”

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Live Small: Living inside a small circle

As long as I have access to parks, pathways, a good computer, coffee shop and hardware store, I think I can get used to living inside a small circle.

I thought of the phrase ‘a small circle’ the other day as I prepared to take my compost out to my new compost bin. The bin is homemade, as is the almost matching garbage can bin, and they both reside inside the small circle of my back and side yard. And beside my garbage bin is my writing alcove, decorated to the nines with homemade artwork.






When the weather warms I’ll spend several hours per week inside that small circle. I’ll take out a compost deposit, circle back to the garbage bin with another deposit, then sit down in my alcove and do a bit of writing, i.e., after admiring the artwork made from leftover materials.

Coffee, when needed, will be close at hand. As will be most of my earthly needs. All inside ‘a small circle.’

I don’t mind if, as I age, more and more daily activities occur inside a small or even shrinking circle. (They may have to anyway, as energy prices rise). The convenience and routine is enjoyable, and as long as I have access to the larger world, whether for a bag of nails, exercise walk through the city, or occasional long trip (e.g., a train ride to the west coast, as is happening in April) I’ll be a happy camper.

Can you see yourself living inside a small or smaller circle? Have you chosen to do so in the last few years?
What are, or might be, the advantages?

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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Please click here for more Live Small.

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Old correspondence touches on modern times

[“The secret of the lightning Nazi advances, according to the Greeks, is that every moment spared from strafing is used in diligent, continuous eating. It took some time for the Greeks to understand that the first thing the German army does after bombing a city is to eat everything in it.” pg. 62, Weller’s War]

My mind is back in 1941 and I’m forming the impression that there is much to be learned there.

Recently, after sending off my latest writing project to the print shop (a compilation of my father’s naval memoirs from WW2 entitled “Dad, Well Done”) I found time to take a mental break and browse shelves at a local bookstore with a gift card and hot cuppa dark roast in hand.

Trust me. As I thumbed new books at full and bargain prices (admittedly, mostly at bargain prices!) the same thought often crossed my mind. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

Weller’s War caught my eye. I noticed beautiful cover art work in sepia tones, a photo of keys on an old typewriter, and the words ‘a legendary foreign correspondent’s saga of World War II on five continents.’ With the sound of my own modern keyboard still in my ears and the thought that I’d just finished typing my father’s own notes about WWII, I reached for the book.

Hefty. 630 pages. $9.99. Mine.

Only after I got it home did I read the flyleaf and realize the person who had compiled George Weller’s war correspondence was his son, Anthony, thus causing my “very good choice” to become “the best choice I’ve made in a long time.”


["Merchant mariners, north of Lake Superior, circa 1945": GH]

I wasn’t many pages into it before a familiar feeling swept over me, i.e., an appreciation of living in modern times and not having to eat short rations, sleep on wet limestone floors or cover my ears at the sound of nighttime bombings while holed up in a cave - or cattle corral - on Sicily, as, according to his memoirs, my father had done, or rush from war front to war front to observe and report the atrocities and degradations of war, as Weller had done.

Last night I read the following from Weller’s article ‘Greeks Hungry as Nazi Army Grabs the Food’, Athens, Greece - July 26, 1941:

In any occupied town it is a common occurrence to see a German blitz straight down a menu consuming double orders throughout and tripling anything really toothsome. Such decathlon eating records would be merely a pleasantly human counterweight to Nazi asceticism if the factory girls in Athens were not fainting repeatedly at work for lack of sufficient nourishment. (Pg. 62)

I pictured the scene. Triple orders for the invaders. Insufficient rations for the invaded. “The record of sixteen chocolate cakes consumed at a single sitting” by a German sergeant-major at Zonars, the largest pastry eatery in Athens. Ragged Greek officers - “having marched for three weeks from Albania eating grass” - begging at the back door.

I concluded the 1941 eating records were startling, and the contrast between haves and have nots was as well.

I read another paragraph and, surprisingly, thought of modern times:

Every restaurant from Alexandropolis to Calamata has its own incredible German eating records. Flocas, a famous meeting place in Salonika - the city whose only flour mill was burned down the night before the Nazis entered - is still talking about five Germans who demanded five orders of bacon and eggs with three eggs each. At the time only smuggled eggs were obtainable, at 12 cents each, about five times the normal price. When the Germans finished the first order they demanded another. After that they commanded a third, still with three eggs on each plate. Before invariable successions of rounds of sundaes they insisted on having two large orders of ham apiece.

As far as I can recount, I’ve had fewer than five three-egg breakfasts in my lifetime, and most of those I ate after completing a long training run in preparation for a marathon. Nowadays, a two-egg breakfast makes me feel stuffed. The two slices of toast on the side are plenty, with PB and J (or orange marmalade) if available. And it’s usually available.

As I continue to read Weller’s War, I’ll continue to enjoy it for what it is, i.e., 70-year old war correspondence.

However, I’m sure - though I’m not 100 per cent sure why - many of the articles will spur thoughts about modern times to rise to the surface as well.

Is it something I ate?

***

Please click here for more about “Dad, Well Done”

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2012 in Review PT 2: “For jobs, I grew up in the best of times”

[“2011 is gone and forgotten. Gone because 2012 has lurched into the room in soiled pants and most people can’t look away. Forgotten because there are many growing trends - all too familiar - to keep us fully occupied.” G. Harrison, 2012 in Review PT 1, Friday, Jan.6]

Many Canadians will lose sleep as the erosion of good jobs becomes an ongoing occurrence in our country.

Thoughts like “My job may be next!” and “I’m just a pay cheque away from tough times” will become common place.

While good jobs continue to disappear for a variety of reasons (e.g., down-sizing, right-sizing, corporate greed, weaknesses associated with the free market economy, short-sighted government policy, etc.), I must admit that, as I look back on my job history, I grew up in the best of times.

In small-town Ontario, 16 miles south of Woodstock and the 401 highway and 40 miles north of Long Point and Lake Erie, jobs grew on trees - or tomato vines - as far as I was concerned as a ten-year old. I had my pick of part-time jobs helping local growers bring in their harvest of tomatoes, asparagus, apples, strawberries, green and yellow beans, bales of hay and a variety of other crops.


["Jobs grew on trees - or tomato vines...": illustration GH]

At such jobs I not only earned decent pocket-money but learned valuable life lessons as well.

For example:

Cutting asparagus hurt my back

After picking tomatoes I could quickly wash my hands by squishing a ripe (but marred) tomato between my fingers

Wear a long-sleeved shirt when tossing hay bales

Ask for help when throwing a 50-pound sack of green beans onto a truck

If I saved up, tomato money would last until Christmas.

Full-time or year-round jobs didn’t grow on trees; one had to be in the right place at the right time.

In my case, I was offered my first year-round job while bouncing a tennis ball off the back wall of the Norwich public school when I was 10 -11 years old. Francis Webber saw me there, noticed I had nothing better to do than chase after a ball, stopped to chat and soon asked if I wanted his London Free Press paper route. 40 customers. $4.00 per week. Back home in less than an hour.

I took it and soon bought - out of my earnings - my own large metal carrier for my red CCM bicycle (the carrier was the perfect size for 40 copies of the Free Press and a complimentary canvas bag) and in good weather I could finish my route in 30 minutes and be back in bed by 7 a.m. Easy - kapeasy!

Why, I was earning almost 80 cents an hour without even breaking a sweat!

Stay tuned for more of “the best of times.”

***

Please click here to read 2012 in Review PT 1: Good jobs will continue to erode

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It Strikes Me Funny: Fossil treasure cache, environmental carnage

[“The news is grim. The accelerating disintegration of Arctic Sea ice means that summer ice will probably disappear within the next decade. The dark open water will absorb more solar radiation than reflective white ice, significantly increasing the rate of global warming.” C. Hedges, Death of the Liberal Class]

On CBC News online the headline reads ‘Fossil treasure trove found at oilsands’, because last week, during her shift operating a fine piece of heavy equipment, Maggy Horvath came across a nearly complete plesiosaur fossil.

This gave one writer cause to report, “Alberta's oilsands is not just producing black gold — they're also yielding a treasure trove of ancient reptile and dinosaur fossils. The area, which contains one of the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, was once covered by an ancient sea. It's the 10th fossil discovered on leases held by the oil giant.

This is great news of course for those who back the world’s largest oilsand’s development in search of black gold, because while Canadians are distracted by ancient bones there will be little thought given or talk about the oilsands as Canada’s largest CO2 producer and contributer to climate instability and as one of the largest environmental scars on planet Earth.

"I think it's great that I'm part of this,” said Horvath. “It felt pretty good to call my son and let him know that I found a prehistoric fossil while working in the mine.”

I’m sure anyone who unearthed a rare fossil would feel much the same way. It would feel good to see a part of our natural history come to life, so to speak, especially in the midst of one of mankind’s most degrading digs. A museum piece is found, thus making the largest scar upon our planet seem more worthwhile.


I write these words because Syncrude’s press release about the find and the media’s story is all one-sided.

That is, a treasure cache is held up to the light of day while the greater story - one of permanent, irreparable destruction to the air, water and land - is buried in the oilsands, thus allowing the illusion of mankind’s unstoppable progress to continue for another week, another month, another year.

***

Please click here for a look at 'Climate Change Concerns' related to ice shelves and ozone.

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My last word about London’s cargo hub

[Jamie Robertson, president of a local freight-forwarding company believes there’s “no ongoing business at the cargo terminal.” Nov. 19, London Free Press]

My last word? Readers are no doubt delighted. So I’ll make it quick.

No matter how Mayor Joe Fontana or London International Airport’s boss Steve Baker spin the numbers related to the amount of freight moving in and out of the city’s $11 million cargo hub, I’ll still think we’ll get a poor bang for the buck, maybe even lose our shirts and cargo pants.

As many in North America and Europe shift from the culture of big to the culture of small, and as fuel prices rise, the shipping of cargo by plane - the most expensive method - will become less profitable.

And what were the Mayor’s last words re the matter?

He said, “There’s no doubt the numbers are staggeringly positive.” (Nov. 19, London Free Press)

And Steve Baker’s last words?

Baker asked city councillors to urge the federal government to create a “free trade zone” to spur more shipments and more “remarkable” growth from London’s cargo hub.

My last word: The hub still won't fly. How remarkable or staggeringly positive are the numbers if one must urge the creation of a not-necessarily-for-free trade zone?

***

Please click here if you can’t get enough of the news about London’s cargo hub.

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One of life’s little mysteries

I’m not going to say a thing.

I’m just going to share two very small items.

First, a small clipping I found on the floor under a side table in the room where I read my daily paper. Whatever I was going to say about it exactly escapes my mind, so I’ll just say nothing.


[London Free Press item from Sept. 28: photo GH]

And second, yesterday I mentioned the following statement in a post re one of my columns from 2003:

Canadian food banks assisted 295,228 people in 2002. Ontario’s food banks accounted for 40% of that total. 35 - 40% were children. (London Food Bank, Decade report)

***

Please click here for more related to food matters.

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Are we expert enough to right our wrongs?

[“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall...” Mother Goose, 1803]

Perhaps we’ve listened to experts about the economy for too long.

I feel the mighty have fallen. And some mighty men and once mighty systems seem to be in free fall.

Consider the following from Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges:

Alan Greenspan, the former head of the Federal reserve Board, once treated with reverential deference by the power elite and the liberal class, announced in 2008, “I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interest of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and their equity in their firms.”

Greenspan exposed the folly of the liberal experts and economists, who had promoted a baseless belief in the power of free markets to self-regulate and solve the world’s problems. In holding up what amounts to a strenuously defended utopianism, these leaders ignored three thousand years of economic and human history to serve a corporate ideology.

All the promises of the free market have turned out to be lies. (pg. 153 - 154)

And still, we place profit ahead of people in the hopes of shared wealth. We place the economy ahead of our environment and leave reparations to future generations.We place unsustainable lifestyles now ahead of a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren. And there are many signs we are not clever enough to see or right our wrongs.

Proponents of the free markets and globalization still rule the media.


[Link to images by Rene Milot]

Chris Hedges writes, “The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a cheerleader for the Iraq war and globalization, became the poster child for the new class of corporate mandarins. And although Friedman was disastrously wrong about the outcome of the occupation, as he was about the effects of globalization, he continues, with a handful of other apologists, to dominate the airwaves.” (pg. 142)

As well, many North American political leaders are stymied, stuck in their ‘business as usual’ ways or just plain stupid.

Under the headline ‘U.S. lawmakers abandon deficit cutting efforts’ in Tuesday’s London Free Press I read the following:

...The admission of defeat by Republicans and Democrats on a 12-member congressional "super committee" is likely to cement perceptions among voters and investors that politicians are too divided to tackle trillion-dollar budget deficits and a national debt that now is roughly equal to the U.S. economy.

President Barack Obama has kept his distance from the talks, choosing instead to emphasize a job-creation package that has been blocked by Republicans. He said Republicans had scuttled the talks by refusing to consider tax hikes on the wealthy. [Link to full article here]

Doesn’t it seem that there’s no end to the difficulties that strangle the U.S’s chance to move forward?


["GH mantra: Reduce spending, pay down debt, save money"]

And while that is going on, in Canada, our own Prime Minister shuffles about the globe hoping to find buyers of the costly crude that is squeezed - not gently, in more ways than one - from his beloved Alberta Tar Sands, a deep dark hole where reasonable environmental standards and thoughts of a healthy, sustainable future go to die.

Our experts are falling and failing, it seems to me.

Over 200 years ago people were entertained my Mother Goose and learned the fate of one poor egg that fell off a wall.

“... All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.”

Today’s experts may think otherwise, but we may suffer the same fate soon with our belief in free markets, globalization, and unsustainable lifestyles.

It’s time for breakfast. I’m thinking... omelette.

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