Keith Addison wrote:
>
> He knew what the basic wealth is, very wise. You'd think of course an
> agricultural research scientist would know that, but so many don't,
> even today. Yields! Efficiency!
Having grown up in the era of the "green revolution", it's been very
hard to accept that "modern" farming practices are detrimental. I
remember watching films at school touting the victory of modern farming
over pestilences, and how increased yields were wiping out hunger. Much
of this propaganda tied directly into the jingoism taught as fact by the
entire culture around me as I grew to adulthood, so it was easy to
dismiss my uncle's concern as "third world sour grapes".
Further, the fertilization / pesticide / herbicide cycle harks back
to the 19th century idea that putting something into the soil means you
can take something out of it. (I can't remember from whence that
originated.) This mentality leads to chemical inputs--e.g. the plants
don't care what kind of nutrients they're receiving, as long as they are
nutrients! So, we sterilize our soil in an effort to grow plants. . .
Then I went to college. Watershed restoration had become somewhat
of a passion for me, and since biology was part of my major, I really
wanted to see forests "return" to their natural state. Surprisingly, I
learned that soil is the key to a healthy forest ecosystem--it's teeming
with microscopic life, and without it, plants cannot thrive. (This
makes sense when we really think about it. Root systems can only uptake
what exists in the soil. Micro organisms do a lot of chemistry work on
the plant's behalf.) Ultimately, my uncle was right. If we take care
of the soil, the soil will take care of us.
Now, as spring approaches (it's only February, but my fruit trees
are ALREADY budding--you'd think I was back in California!) and everyone
in the neighborhood is buying pesticide spray, I'm worrying about my
strategy for soil remediation this year. I found a place that is giving
away composted goose manure, and I'm waiting for the local recycling
depot to open so I can mix a bunch of compost and get some organic
material into the dirt for my flower beds and fruit trees.
A couple of weeks ago I was emptying out my own compost bin and
noticed earthworms in the compost! (I have never seen an earthworm on
this property. . .) It may take time to get my garden functioning, but
I have to start with soil. Otherwise, I'll be spraying everything to
kill bugs and force my plants to grow, just like my neighbors do.
> What do you do when it happens socially, face to face?
This is a hard question. Intellectual interchange is a different
concept than mere gainsaying and ridicule of another person's
perspective, yet the latter is often mistaken for the former. When I
encounter people who are unwilling to think I have a hard time
restraining my desire to belittle or ridicule. My favorite mechanic
believes that I.Q. is a static number, so that as population increases,
overall intellectual capacity declines. . .
I think of people as a resource, rather than a liability. However,
attitude makes a HUGE difference in any single person's ability to
effect positive change. I have little tolerance for anyone who thinks
too highly of himself. (Besides, I've read somewhere that "God opposes
the proud, but exalts the humble.") Likewise, though I come from a
great country, one doesn't have to look to hard to realize that it's far
from perfect. People who think America can do no wrong are living in a
self imposed fantasy.
> Just smile and
> accept it? Why should you accept it here? Perhaps some people don't
> mix enough with others who might have different views from their own,
> but then they should, and they surely should be aware that a list
> like this isn't their local bar.
This is a very diverse forum, and many people who post here have
political views considerably to the left of mine. That doesn't mean
their perspectives have no merit, nor is the criticism frequently
leveled at my country lacking in at least some truth. It's not always
pleasant to read, but I don't see how lashing belligerently at the
critics solves the problems about which they complain, nor does doing so
change any minds. The arrogance I've read from some of my own
countrymen merely serves to reinforce the stereotype of myopic jingoism
common among a people whose perspective simply cannot accomodate any
view other than their own. Perhaps it's easier for me to handle the
critics of America because I live as a guest in someone else's country,
a place where "America bashing" is part of the cultural identity. (It's
harmless, and really quite funny--especially when people doing the
"bashing" learn that I'm an American!)
What I wish the jingoists among us would learn, is that our friends
around the world truly are our friends. Many nations who have
criticized our policies have stood shoulder to shoulder with us on the
battlefield. Others have deep economic and social ties to us that
should not be taken lightly. We should be quicker to listen and slower
to respond, I think.
> So do I, but maybe it's just an unaccustomed awkwardness in strange
> company, they feel defensive so they overcompensate or something...
> Huh, paperback psychology, sorry.
That's precisely why I was asking: "What are you afraid of?"
> Could this be the answer?
>
> "Imagine how different politics would be if debates were conducted in
> Tariana, an Amazonian language in which it is a grammatical error to
> report something without saying how you found it out. ... In some
> languages, including Tariana, you always have to put a little suffix
> onto your verb saying how you know something - we call it
> "evidentiality"... If you don't say how you know things, they think
> you are a liar."
Interesting! But if we're bring a perspective of "I'm not going to
compare my sources with your sources" into the discussion, even such
linguistic restraints would not constrain the underlying attitude. As
long as one person believes he is superior, there is no sense in
discussing anything. That individual merely justifies his a priori
assumptions as correct and dismisses all evidence to the contrary.
Besides, as the recent discussion on climate change has illustrated,
it is more intellectually laborious to weigh each claim and counter
claim on its own merit. Most people lack the time and energy to become
well informed.
>
> http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/opinterview.jsp;jsessionid=KNBHENH
>
> KEGCH?id=ns24321
> For want of a word
This pointed me to an article on wheel chair design. . .
> Hope you're better now, take care.
>
My right eye is still swollen. (I've never had flu in the eyes
before!) I put in a 12 hour day at work yesterday and was very tired
about half way through, but I rested well last night. Thanks for your
concern!
robert luis rabello
"The Edge of Justice"
Adventure for Your Mind
http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/9782
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