Old Facts, New Truths, And Remember Those Great Books?

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If you ever owned one of these books, you likely grew up in the USA.  Which means you also likely thought, because of all those “cowboy and Indian” movies you watched, that horses were native to North America.  That may sound like a big logical leap, but there is a point.  Today, a review two old posts on this site helped clear up the history of horses in North America and it has to do with the kind of pre-history that captivated any kid who loved those books above.

After this was posted September 30, 2012 one member of our community (me) who grew up reading all the books above, and seeing all those “Western” movies, missed the opportunity to click through and listen to it.  However, I had been fascinated to learn from this post and then from the amazing book it highlighted, the “truth” about horses in North America.

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If You Happen To Be In Washington, DC

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Protest

Click the image above to go to Sierra Club’s website for more information. At minimum it is a learning opportunity, a chance to participate or to just observe. Lend your presence and your voice:

Rally Speakers

  • Michael Brune; Sierra Club Executive Director
  • Bill McKibben; 350.org President, Scholar at Middlebury College
  • Continue reading →

Getting All Green In Western Australia

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An article that, like the graph above, defines the BAU scenario, is worth reading just to get those three letters fixed in our mind’s eye.  The Greens of Western Australia will not leave it to your imagination; rather they’ll wonk you into submission to the facts and into action politically to resist BAU:

The Greens Party has unveiled an ambitious new document that outlines possible pathways to turn Western Australia – one of the most energy-intensive states in the world – into one where its stationary energy needs are powered 100 per cent by renewable energy sources in less than two decades. Continue reading →

Figuring Out What Is Important

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A wall in the studio of artist Ellsworth Kelly. Photo by Alex Majoli and Daria Birang/Magnum

A wall in the studio of artist Ellsworth Kelly. Photo by Alex Majoli and Daria Birang/Magnum

From Aeon, which we continue to enjoy each time we visit (yes we will eventually stop being so explicit in suggesting you visit that site, but for now we cannot resist the recommendation):

Sparks will fly

Infatuated by celebrity, stuck in dreary work, addicted to consumerism. Only a creator culture can save us from ourselves

by Damien Walter

I arrived in Leicester in the late ‘90s as a student, a year after losing my mother to cancer. Having little support, I worked my way through university as a street sweeper, a factory worker, a waiter, a barman, a door-to-door salesman, a cleaner, recycling operative and grill chef. I wanted to be a writer but that seemed like an unattainable dream at the time. A few years later I began working for Leicester’s library service as a literature development worker. Continue reading →

Sticky Explanations

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Pea aphid on alfalfa

Pea aphid on alfalfa

Thank you, Ed.  Thank you, National Geographic. A smart fellow who communicates clearly, a great publication with a long history of communicating important information with good writing and excellent photography; now we have an explanation for:

How Falling Aphids Land on Their Feet Like Cats

by Ed Yong

Cats are famous for landing on their feet after a fall, but they aren’t the only animals that do so. The tiny pea aphid can also right itself in mid-air, and it does so in a way that’s far simpler than a falling feline. Continue reading →

Tracking Fracking

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For reasons we never fully understand, an old post suddenly gets a large number of views.  It happened yesterday with this one. Okay, we get that people are interested in understanding as much as possible about environmental issues such as fracking and they pursue as many sources of information as possible to stay apprised.  Search engine algorithms connect them on occasion to items our cabinet of curiosities. The news stories, photos and videos and personal accounts collected on this blog–are meant to add up to something, but we do not fret about the calculus. We just keep on looking, gathering, posting and expect the points to make themselves.  It may be the occasional coincidences that fuel our commitment to this improvisational approach.

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Vembanad – The Backwater Delight

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Photo credits: Joshy Manjummel

A night on Lake Vembanad is a night surrounded by nothing but the vast expanse of sky and water floating on house boats made in the traditional handcrafted style. Continue reading →

Shine A Light

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chipata-blog480

Green Blog shares this news about a significant innovation at the intersection of crowdfunding, renewables and community welfare in Africa and Asia:

By visiting Web sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, you can give money to any number of causes. These Web sites collect small amounts from many individuals in what is known as crowdfunding to finance everything from business start-ups to charitable causes to art projects.

While online crowdfunding is still relatively new, it has already demonstrated that many small contributions can add up. Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm, estimates that the largest 30 crowdfunding sites raised more than $1.5 billion over the last five years, and expects that in 2013 alone the number could be $3 billion.

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Camera Traps, Unite

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Sharing technology, data, knowhow.  Pooling resources in the common interest across regions of the tropical world for the sake of biodiversity conservation.  Take a look at what TEAM is doing. A six minute video appears on the Guardian‘s website, providing much-appreciated coverage:

One million images of wildlife in 16 tropical forests around the world have been captured by the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network. Since it began its work in 2008 to monitor changes in wildlife, vegetation and climate, cameras in the the Americas, Africa and Asia have photographed more than 370 different species including elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, large cats, honey badgers, tapirs and tropical birds Continue reading →

Kuttichathan Theyyam

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Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Theyyam is a synthesis of tribal, Dravidian and Aryan cultural practices. It seems as if Northern Kerala believed that the Indian pantheon of 33 crores (330 million) Gods was not a large enough contingent, they added ancestors and heroes to the list and gave them a special space in the Theyyam rituals. Continue reading →

For Valentine’s Day 2013 Skip Roses, Get Greener

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If these are not available where you live, try a homecrafted version of the same using this organization’s schematic plans:

What Is A Windowfarm?

A Windowfarm is a vertical, indoor garden that allows for year-round growing in almost any window. It lets plants use natural window light, the climate control of your living space, and organic “liquid soil.”

In the hydroponic system, nutrient-spiked water is pumped up from a reservoir at the base of the system and trickles down from bottle to bottle, bathing the roots along the way. Water and nutrients that are not absorbed collect in the reservoir and will be pumped through again at the next interval. Continue reading →