.... This one is definitely going to be easier to get together.
On Saturday, September 24th, there will be events all over the country aimed at bringing the fossil fuel crisis to the forefront of our government's attention.
Here's the website: http://www.moving-planet.org/about
I'm going to the one in Manhattan, on Central Park West & 59th.
But for those of you on the West Coast, there's one in Long Beach. Basically, this one will be a fun day of riding bikes on the beach. Mightn't you do that with a typical Saturday anyway?
<3
Tar Sands Action
I've been working on several blog drafts for days now- but I'm pushing those back in favor of this lovely breaking news.
Keystone Pipeline Project
About the Tar Sands
The Tar Sands are the most environmentally devastating project on earth, involving extracting oil from a mix of clay and other materials, from underneath Canada’s Boreal forest. The refining process is complex and very energy intensive.
TransCanada, one of the largest companies involved in tar sands exploration, has proposed a 1,661 mile, 36-inch extension of the newly built Keystone Pipeline from Alberta, Canada to oil refineries of the United States. This would expand the capacity for refining oil produced from Alberta tar sands by approximately one million barrels per day.
I already signed the petition. However, there is more I can do. So basically, I will arrive in New York on the 23rd of August. If there is any way I can get myself to D.C. before the 29th (when school starts back up), I'm going to be there. Transit info isn't available this far in advance, but as soon as I can figure it out, I'm signing up to march on the White House.
...Maybe see you there?
Also, look what happened to this guy! Activist Tim DeChristopher Sentenced to Two Years
Keystone Pipeline Project
About the Tar Sands
The Tar Sands are the most environmentally devastating project on earth, involving extracting oil from a mix of clay and other materials, from underneath Canada’s Boreal forest. The refining process is complex and very energy intensive.
TransCanada, one of the largest companies involved in tar sands exploration, has proposed a 1,661 mile, 36-inch extension of the newly built Keystone Pipeline from Alberta, Canada to oil refineries of the United States. This would expand the capacity for refining oil produced from Alberta tar sands by approximately one million barrels per day.
I already signed the petition. However, there is more I can do. So basically, I will arrive in New York on the 23rd of August. If there is any way I can get myself to D.C. before the 29th (when school starts back up), I'm going to be there. Transit info isn't available this far in advance, but as soon as I can figure it out, I'm signing up to march on the White House.
...Maybe see you there?
Also, look what happened to this guy! Activist Tim DeChristopher Sentenced to Two Years
My Preliminary Course List
Upcoming classes are finally being named on my school's website, so I went ahead and wrote down classes I would consider taking. (I'm only showing classes that relate to my environmental interests- my art class ideas aren't super relevant here!)
Principles of Botany- Kenneth Karol
Environmental Chemistry- Mali Yin
Sustainable Development- Marilyn Power
Collective Violence and Post-Conflict Reconciliation- Elke Zuern
The Offensive Against Civil Rights- Rima Vesely-Flad
Science, Technology, Environmental Politics- Astrid Schrader
Embodiment & Biological Knowledge: Public engagement Medicine/Science- Sarah Wilcox
Privacy v. Security on the Internet- Michael Siff
Food, Agriculture, Environment and Development- Joshua Muldavin
The Contemporary Practice of International Law- Mark Shulman
You might notice that there are some law classes in my list. Why? Because I need to know what I can get away with, of course! :P
My conference topic for any of these classes would probably be really interesting. Since I plan on keeping the blog through the year, let me know if you would like to read it.
Principles of Botany- Kenneth Karol
Environmental Chemistry- Mali Yin
Sustainable Development- Marilyn Power
Collective Violence and Post-Conflict Reconciliation- Elke Zuern
The Offensive Against Civil Rights- Rima Vesely-Flad
Science, Technology, Environmental Politics- Astrid Schrader
Embodiment & Biological Knowledge: Public engagement Medicine/Science- Sarah Wilcox
Privacy v. Security on the Internet- Michael Siff
Food, Agriculture, Environment and Development- Joshua Muldavin
The Contemporary Practice of International Law- Mark Shulman
You might notice that there are some law classes in my list. Why? Because I need to know what I can get away with, of course! :P
My conference topic for any of these classes would probably be really interesting. Since I plan on keeping the blog through the year, let me know if you would like to read it.
July 20th
After some weeks back in consumerland, I have to say that I regret leaving so quickly. However, I've been working on some projects here at home that have made me feel a bit better.
First of all, I made a vow not to buy any new clothing. I have, in fact, done just the opposite- four large trash bags of clothing made their way to the Goodwill. Why I still had leotards from when I was ten, I do not know.
Removing superfluous stuff from my life has become a serious priority. Somehow, even after donating bags and bags of clutter, my room still feels too crowded.
To anyone watching, my donation process would have looked a lot more like a crime than an offering. I showed up at the back door to the Goodwill at midnight, left my car running, dumped my bags, and drove away as quickly as possible. I did the same thing at the used bookstore, and again at the recycling bins by my local grade school. The reason I was sneaking around like a ninja: I've heard of people being fined for littering when their donations are not properly processed. When I checked back at the Goodwill and the bookstore the next day, my bags were gone, so I know that somebody is making use of them. I don't really care who it is.
I also bought this book on foraging, and this hand drill. Why am I buying things when I'm so big on reducing consumption? I'll tell you- both of these things will outlast any search engine and any power tool. They are also small and easy to transport.
I'm thinking that this book is next on my buy list. It appears to have everything I need to know about vertical gardening. I was considering gardening vertically in my room- however, preliminary research revealed that this is hard to do without grow lights and strong walls. Thus, I will probably have to grow outside in the abundant grassy area behind my house. I intend to ask my fellow eco-enthusiast Eli Colasante about how to get permission to do this. He has a blog about the composting project at SLC that I am soon to be a part of- check him out here.
I've also made two eco-bricks and will be sending them up to Beth's ranch ASAP.
I am really looking forward to gardening at SLC, as well as foraging for edible and medicinal plants. By second semester, I would love to be able to reduce my meal plan.
Hope you're still reading!
First of all, I made a vow not to buy any new clothing. I have, in fact, done just the opposite- four large trash bags of clothing made their way to the Goodwill. Why I still had leotards from when I was ten, I do not know.
Removing superfluous stuff from my life has become a serious priority. Somehow, even after donating bags and bags of clutter, my room still feels too crowded.
To anyone watching, my donation process would have looked a lot more like a crime than an offering. I showed up at the back door to the Goodwill at midnight, left my car running, dumped my bags, and drove away as quickly as possible. I did the same thing at the used bookstore, and again at the recycling bins by my local grade school. The reason I was sneaking around like a ninja: I've heard of people being fined for littering when their donations are not properly processed. When I checked back at the Goodwill and the bookstore the next day, my bags were gone, so I know that somebody is making use of them. I don't really care who it is.
I also bought this book on foraging, and this hand drill. Why am I buying things when I'm so big on reducing consumption? I'll tell you- both of these things will outlast any search engine and any power tool. They are also small and easy to transport.
I'm thinking that this book is next on my buy list. It appears to have everything I need to know about vertical gardening. I was considering gardening vertically in my room- however, preliminary research revealed that this is hard to do without grow lights and strong walls. Thus, I will probably have to grow outside in the abundant grassy area behind my house. I intend to ask my fellow eco-enthusiast Eli Colasante about how to get permission to do this. He has a blog about the composting project at SLC that I am soon to be a part of- check him out here.
I've also made two eco-bricks and will be sending them up to Beth's ranch ASAP.
I am really looking forward to gardening at SLC, as well as foraging for edible and medicinal plants. By second semester, I would love to be able to reduce my meal plan.
Hope you're still reading!
Return to the Waste Land
My last days of WWOOFing were full and very nice. On the 4th of July, I went with Shandin, Katie, and my fellow WWOOFer Phil to a nearby fireworks show. We went to the barbeque some of their friends were having first, though. And this was important for several reasons.
These are not well-educated folks. On those days when I feel particularly elitist, I would dare to call them white trash. However, they are more environmentally responsible than anyone I've spent time with since I've been back. They have an enormous garden full of permaculture and polyculture techniques, and a GIANT compost heap from which plants are feeding directly. They made delicious food and were fun, good-natured people. It's clear that I should have realized this sooner, but "expensive college education" does not necessarily equal "responsible living".
The fireworks were pretty. My favorite part was when a six-year-old boy came around asking me and Phil if we wanted to go on a vision quest. How does a six-year-old even know what that is!? It was awesome.
I don't really remember what I did the next day, but the day before I left, we went to a place called Mad Creek. Apparently, the natural river had been flooding the highway, so they decided to blow a hole in a rock face to redirect the flow. The result was a gorgeous shoreline with a cave-like inlet (pictures are up on flickr). It was a very hot day, and we all went swimming, even Chulito. I actually passed pretty close to a water snake, which was really freaky, but the locals informed me that he was harmless. It was black and yellow and actually quite a beautiful creature. We spent a large portion of the day there, talking to the other creek-visitors and lying out in the sun. It was a pretty romantic spot.
I left early the next morning. My car ride with Mike and Chulito was long, but interesting. We stopped at Solar Living Institute, where I rode one of their electricity-generating bikes and marveled at the architecture. Unfortunately, the main building hadn't opened for the day yet.
Mike informed me about a movie he thought I might like, called Contact. It stars Jodie Foster and is apparently right up the alley of a science-fiction fan like myself. I haven't watched it yet, but it's instant play on Netflix, so it's only a matter of time before I... make contact. BOOM! Pun alert.
Being back has been good, but strange. With a little encouragement from my father, I've decided to keep this blog going as a record of my experiences back in suburbia, as well as what I learn as I continue my herbal self-education. I expect my blog is going to get a little more political.
Thank you so much for reading this far and for following me to Northern California and back again. I hope you'll enjoy the continuation of my story as well!
<3
These are not well-educated folks. On those days when I feel particularly elitist, I would dare to call them white trash. However, they are more environmentally responsible than anyone I've spent time with since I've been back. They have an enormous garden full of permaculture and polyculture techniques, and a GIANT compost heap from which plants are feeding directly. They made delicious food and were fun, good-natured people. It's clear that I should have realized this sooner, but "expensive college education" does not necessarily equal "responsible living".
The fireworks were pretty. My favorite part was when a six-year-old boy came around asking me and Phil if we wanted to go on a vision quest. How does a six-year-old even know what that is!? It was awesome.
I don't really remember what I did the next day, but the day before I left, we went to a place called Mad Creek. Apparently, the natural river had been flooding the highway, so they decided to blow a hole in a rock face to redirect the flow. The result was a gorgeous shoreline with a cave-like inlet (pictures are up on flickr). It was a very hot day, and we all went swimming, even Chulito. I actually passed pretty close to a water snake, which was really freaky, but the locals informed me that he was harmless. It was black and yellow and actually quite a beautiful creature. We spent a large portion of the day there, talking to the other creek-visitors and lying out in the sun. It was a pretty romantic spot.
I left early the next morning. My car ride with Mike and Chulito was long, but interesting. We stopped at Solar Living Institute, where I rode one of their electricity-generating bikes and marveled at the architecture. Unfortunately, the main building hadn't opened for the day yet.
Mike informed me about a movie he thought I might like, called Contact. It stars Jodie Foster and is apparently right up the alley of a science-fiction fan like myself. I haven't watched it yet, but it's instant play on Netflix, so it's only a matter of time before I... make contact. BOOM! Pun alert.
Being back has been good, but strange. With a little encouragement from my father, I've decided to keep this blog going as a record of my experiences back in suburbia, as well as what I learn as I continue my herbal self-education. I expect my blog is going to get a little more political.
Thank you so much for reading this far and for following me to Northern California and back again. I hope you'll enjoy the continuation of my story as well!
<3
Amanda Palmer and Horizontal Fighting
This entry is not about WWOOFing, per se, but about what I was thinking today as I raked up the freshly weed-whacked grass.
Derrick Jensen and Lierre Keith call it "Horizontal Fighting".
The term "Horizontal Fighting" means that members of the same community, who (theoretically) have the same goals, bicker amongst themselves instead of working together against their much larger foes.
When Derrick and Lierre used it, they were referring to matters of environmental justice.
But what brought this up for me today is something I heard about Amanda Palmer, a brilliant and empowering musician who has done a lot of work to counter prejudice against certain demographics. Her work includes an album called Evelyn Evelyn, which she wrote with her husband. They perform as conjoined identical twins, telling their story through songs and narration. Their performance is at once hilarious and tragic.
I later found out that Amanda Palmer had been publicly criticized for being insensitive to the struggles of conjoined twins, and that her album was "offensive".
In the same vein, I recently read an article about a trans girl who had won prom queen at her school. The author of the article, who is clearly delighted at this success for trans people, was heavily berated for calling his subject "Andrew" when the girl apparently goes by "Andy" at school. His response to these comments was that he had in fact interviewed the girl, and that she had asked him to call her "Andrew" in the article.
What I'm trying to get at here is that there are far more prejudiced people in this world than AMANDA PALMER and this journalist. Though I haven't researched it extensively, I doubt that any actual conjoined twins were offended by Evelyn Evelyn, if they even knew about it. I think the comments made against these people were made by members of the die-hard PC brigade, just looking for an excuse to be offended and self-righteous and show how unprejudiced they are, in a very Salem Witch Trials kind of way.
I think it's ridiculous, considering there are probably conjoined twins being exploited now and there are definitely trans people being beaten and murdered.
Why go after people who clearly do not need any coaching in respect and acceptance, instead of those who are ignorant and actively prejudiced?
Unite, and go after your real foes, or you rot your cause's efforts from the inside.
Derrick Jensen and Lierre Keith call it "Horizontal Fighting".
The term "Horizontal Fighting" means that members of the same community, who (theoretically) have the same goals, bicker amongst themselves instead of working together against their much larger foes.
When Derrick and Lierre used it, they were referring to matters of environmental justice.
But what brought this up for me today is something I heard about Amanda Palmer, a brilliant and empowering musician who has done a lot of work to counter prejudice against certain demographics. Her work includes an album called Evelyn Evelyn, which she wrote with her husband. They perform as conjoined identical twins, telling their story through songs and narration. Their performance is at once hilarious and tragic.
I later found out that Amanda Palmer had been publicly criticized for being insensitive to the struggles of conjoined twins, and that her album was "offensive".
In the same vein, I recently read an article about a trans girl who had won prom queen at her school. The author of the article, who is clearly delighted at this success for trans people, was heavily berated for calling his subject "Andrew" when the girl apparently goes by "Andy" at school. His response to these comments was that he had in fact interviewed the girl, and that she had asked him to call her "Andrew" in the article.
What I'm trying to get at here is that there are far more prejudiced people in this world than AMANDA PALMER and this journalist. Though I haven't researched it extensively, I doubt that any actual conjoined twins were offended by Evelyn Evelyn, if they even knew about it. I think the comments made against these people were made by members of the die-hard PC brigade, just looking for an excuse to be offended and self-righteous and show how unprejudiced they are, in a very Salem Witch Trials kind of way.
I think it's ridiculous, considering there are probably conjoined twins being exploited now and there are definitely trans people being beaten and murdered.
Why go after people who clearly do not need any coaching in respect and acceptance, instead of those who are ignorant and actively prejudiced?
Unite, and go after your real foes, or you rot your cause's efforts from the inside.
July 2
Today was a long day... I spent much of it interacting with stakes. First I pounded them in, then I tied colored string around them so they would be visible from the house. Much of this was accomplished on a steep incline over an area of four acres. I also helped unload some piping for the irrigation system my hosts are attempting to set up.
I've been trying to read Deep Green Resistance, another Derrick Jensen book that he wrote with Aric Mcbay and Lierre Keith. I'm not making much progress; the book is dense, and I know a lot of what he's saying already. I'm going to start flipping forward to the part where the actual suggestions are.
I'm still trying to find a way home sooner. I think I can handle about another week and a half here, but my mom wouldn't be coming up for almost four. I hope to hear back from her soon so we can consolidate. I feel like a jerk for making her change her plans again. But I am anxious to get home.
I have some plants coming up! It's just the beans so far, but I also planted lavender, echinacea, purple coneflower, and chamomile. I hope they will sprout before I go, but at least I know things are starting. :)
I've been trying to read Deep Green Resistance, another Derrick Jensen book that he wrote with Aric Mcbay and Lierre Keith. I'm not making much progress; the book is dense, and I know a lot of what he's saying already. I'm going to start flipping forward to the part where the actual suggestions are.
I'm still trying to find a way home sooner. I think I can handle about another week and a half here, but my mom wouldn't be coming up for almost four. I hope to hear back from her soon so we can consolidate. I feel like a jerk for making her change her plans again. But I am anxious to get home.
I have some plants coming up! It's just the beans so far, but I also planted lavender, echinacea, purple coneflower, and chamomile. I hope they will sprout before I go, but at least I know things are starting. :)
July 1
Hard work today, unloaded everything on a fully packed truck and moved massive piles of wood around.
During this process, we found two scorpions. First ones I've ever seen in real life... they are scary, but still an incredible marvel of evolution. Mike had to kill them because we can't have scorpions around Chulito the dog.
Yesterday, Phil and Beth managed to get a halter onto Carmelita. She is a big and ornery horse... apparently it took them twelve attempts to get it on her. They both held lead ropes on her so that she couldn't overpower either one of them. Once they had her out of the stall, they called me over with the riding crop, and I walked (a good distance) behind her. She balked at the gate, so I swatted her, and that got her moving. She balked twice more, but I didn't have to actually hit her again; I just swatted the air next to her, and she moved. However, this event did earn me the nickname "Spanky". The whole event has been christened "The Great Horse Move by Spanky and Her Gang". :D
My five little herb plants are doing well. The Valerian is my most prized, and when I got it home, two of the stems had sort of folded. :(
I tried to prop them up at first, but then called it a lost cause and snipped them off. Now that it's not wasting that energy, it's putting up a beautiful new stem! :D
Still studying my plants like mad. Coming up with great mnemonic devices for them. I can't wait to get back to campus so I can actually go look around for this stuff!
I suppose that's it for now. Still looking into public transport back home- Amtrak has a pretty good route, but it's an $82 and 13 hour trip. I'd still take it though, that could be an adventure. And I wouldn't have to take all my stuff with me, because I'll be going back up later.
<3
During this process, we found two scorpions. First ones I've ever seen in real life... they are scary, but still an incredible marvel of evolution. Mike had to kill them because we can't have scorpions around Chulito the dog.
Yesterday, Phil and Beth managed to get a halter onto Carmelita. She is a big and ornery horse... apparently it took them twelve attempts to get it on her. They both held lead ropes on her so that she couldn't overpower either one of them. Once they had her out of the stall, they called me over with the riding crop, and I walked (a good distance) behind her. She balked at the gate, so I swatted her, and that got her moving. She balked twice more, but I didn't have to actually hit her again; I just swatted the air next to her, and she moved. However, this event did earn me the nickname "Spanky". The whole event has been christened "The Great Horse Move by Spanky and Her Gang". :D
My five little herb plants are doing well. The Valerian is my most prized, and when I got it home, two of the stems had sort of folded. :(
I tried to prop them up at first, but then called it a lost cause and snipped them off. Now that it's not wasting that energy, it's putting up a beautiful new stem! :D
Still studying my plants like mad. Coming up with great mnemonic devices for them. I can't wait to get back to campus so I can actually go look around for this stuff!
I suppose that's it for now. Still looking into public transport back home- Amtrak has a pretty good route, but it's an $82 and 13 hour trip. I'd still take it though, that could be an adventure. And I wouldn't have to take all my stuff with me, because I'll be going back up later.
<3
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