Category Archives: Oil spill

We All Live, Breathe, Drink, and Eat from the Same World

Posted on by
Reply

Messengers can change the world. So today I have messages from a person who lives in the “third world” and from another who lived in another time. Both messages deeply relate to the largely ignored messages of those most affected by the gulf oil catastrophe. To keenly hear all these messages, we must first remove any barrier from within our hearts that somehow diminishes the worth or impact of a story because it originates from outside “our world.”

An oil field in Azerbaijan

An oil field in Azerbaijan (photographed April 17, 2008 by Indigoprime of Flikr and Wikimedia Commons).

I’m not at liberty to share the text of the first message, but I can share its basic content. The messenger speaks of living in a house close to the place where a city regularly burns its raw garbage. The smoke smells horrible. The people of the area are deeply disturbed about the healthiness of their homes and their environment. For example, out of deep respect for one another and guided by cultural traditions, the people remove their shoes whenever they enter a house. Yet their larger home, their environment, is being ruined not only by city’s burning but also by nearby natural gas and oil drilling. The wells pollute the area’s air, land, and water through huge chemical use, exhausts, and pipeline leaks. The people have learned not to drink the area’s water. Still many people are sick and children are far too often born with serious health problems including mutations. People want change. Yet, useful, reliable information on their environment is scarce, and their government is heavily influenced by big money interests and is corrupt. People feel powerless and have little hope. Their very survival is in question.

Martin Niemöller, a messenger imprisoned in Germany during War World II, once reflected “First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

Likewise the whole human family’s survival is in question. To survive we must remove all barriers to our deep appreciation for each other and live generously and radically for each other. This understanding and forgiveness extends not simply to those who live near to us or those who think like us, but to all persons and all creation. A troubling but life-giving realization is springing up: do not blame anyone, not the politicians, not the corporations, not even the Hitlers. Rather let’s focus on increasing our responsibility for others and our hope in others, so that we can all work and thrive together sharing the same, wholly renewed world.

A Garden of Life

Posted on by
3

Mixed up garden modeled after forest

My family has much to learn about gardening, but here’s our mixed up garden modeled somewhat after the forest which for eons has ably tended itself (June 5, 2012).

 My family’s garden was prepared by chickens who scratched the ground and enriched the soil with their manure – no other fertilizer was used. Seeds were planted. New plants breathed in the air, drank water, absorbed minerals, and enriched the soil. Leaves from nearby trees provided mulch to slowdown weeds. Diverse plants grew together for mutual benefit. Chickens continued to come – mostly munching on bugs – no pesticides desired or needed. Bugs, as they have for millions of years, also make contributions to plants. The whole family pitches in. Through nature, work, and generosity; food is being created for humans, horse, chickens, bugs, mice, sparrows, bluebirds, cuckoos, lizards, and many more.

One day we hope that our horse will help us garden too, but for now she keeps the grass manageable, and her beauty and personality provides us with much enjoyment. Our cat and canaries enrich our lives as well. Before long we might even accept a dog into our fellowship (that dog would be our first).

In the last few years, particularly since the gulf oil spill in April 2010, but before then too, I have had growing concerns about the harms and dangers that pervade our lives. But more importantly, I have felt the call to embrace the incredible gifts that God wants to shower upon us always, renewable gifts that create real wealth for everyone. All this and more led my family to the country. Living in our new home in Deer Park, Alabama, we hope to become farmers working well with nature. We’ve had to reevaluate our priorities, how we live, and how we pray. By way of example, like the new berries and vegetables that feed my family, here is a prayer that I have composed and recently revised:

You-Are-Who-Are, Infinite Lover of All, Eternal Creating Spirit!

Kumbaya to us, Your beloved, yearning Children, that we may keenly see and profoundly appreciate the needs, beauty, and gifts of each person and all creation!

Merciful, Grateful Liberator, unshackle us from every hurt, injustice, doubt, anger, dishonesty, conceit, shame, and fear! Save us from every urge to do or return evil!

We-Are-Who-Are, drench us with free and abundant nourishment found throughout creation and through diverse and wondrous persons!

We-Can-Who-Can, rouse us to champion a wholly renewed world where nothing is wasted, every gift is shared, and every need filled!

We-Will-Who-Will, heal us through shared words, play, and work so that we will come alive as one family filled with infinite joy, generosity, hope, understanding, creativity, openness, forgiveness, and love!

Friend of All, our Imminent Victory, be our All in All, together for the benefit of All! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

[Blog with earlier version of this prayer]

Rosie in our happy garden

I’ve heard some farmers speak of happy gardens. Here’s Rosie, my wife, enjoying our garden (June 5, 2012).

A spring chicken, bugs, and the three sisters: corn, squash, and beans

A young spring chicken searches for bugs in our garden where in American Indian tradition we have planted corn, squash, and beans together, the “three sisters” (June 5, 2012). This diversity in the garden is good for moderating the bug population. Bugs in moderate numbers invigorate gardens – without bugs we would all likely die.
Vegetables from the garden

A good morning of garden picking: herbs, berries, tomatoes, okra, beans, cucumber, summer squash, and two varieties of mystery squashes (June 4, 2012). I should have picked corn, tomatillos, and greens to add to this picture.

These blueberries are lush this time of year. Here’s a brown thrasher who had just fed a bug to its new hatchlings (June 7, 2012).

These blueberries are lush this time of year. Here’s a brown thrasher who had just fed a bug to its new hatchlings (June 7, 2012).

Proof! Warblers Can Read!

Posted on by
4
Swallow-tailed kite

Swallow-tailed kite, photograph by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A dead warbler who fell in my backyard after flying across the gulf.

A dead warbler who fell in my backyard after flying across the gulf. Photographed April 2, 2011.

Our "clean beaches" "among the finest in the world." Photographed on Little Dauphin Island just a few weeks ago on March 17, 2011.

Our "clean beaches" "among the finest in the world." Photographed on Little Dauphin Island just a few weeks ago on March 17, 2011. Various facilities including the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in the background.

 

 “Seen anything?” I asked at the Shell Mounds on Dauphin Island (a world class birding area). “No,” the Michigan birder replied, “but last year my brother came here and saw 10 ‘lifetime birds’ in 20 minutes.” “Wow,” I said, “and last year was a down year.” “Then, what would you call this year! Can’t believe my wife and I came 1100 miles for this! Do you expect any ‘fallouts’ soon?” “Not really,” I answered, “we’ve had the storms and cool, strong north winds to produce ‘fallouts’ several times but the birds just aren’t arriving in any numbers at all.”

Everyone I’ve asked says this is “the worse spring in memory.” The warblers, the highlight for many birders, have been the most conspicuous in their absence. Most birders have only seen a few warblers. So where are the birds this spring? One birder from Georgia said, “I just hope they’re still alive.”

During the spring migrations, in good years, like 2009, I see hundreds of colorful warblers of more than 20 species. Even in off years, I see around a hundred warblers of a dozen or so species. This year, after many outings, I’ve seen just one migrating warbler, a hooded warbler (not counting the one that fell dead in my backyard).

Like all years, this spring has had some highlights. My son, Nicholas, saw a swallow-tailed kite. These magnificent birds generally fly up and down the Dauphin Island sand dunes and above the wooded areas of Dauphin Island. Several in my family have also seen some bald eagles near Bay Front Park in Alabama Port. I have also seen some orioles, finches, kingbirds, and vireos. Unfortunately, these have shown up in much fewer numbers and varieties than usual.

On Dauphin Island, even the non-migrants are a fewer in number. Woodpeckers, wrens, thrashers, sparrows, blue jays, cardinals, towhees, and mockingbirds are noticeably fewer.

Somehow, according to experts, the birds, just like the humans, have become alarmed after reading reports from “various media outlets.” After all, according to the experts, it’s “fair to say that the oil is indeed gone.” But somehow, the birds too have failed to close “the gap between the public perception of the oil spill and the reality of where we stand.” And where do the experts say we stand? “The seafood appears to be abundant and is indeed safe to eat while the beaches are among the finest in the world.” So if you happen to see any gullible migrating birds, please pass the word along that all is well in the gulf and the surrounding areas. Also be sure to warn the birds about the “clear and certain danger” of “various media elements” who might cast doubts on the experts who say that there are “no ecological dangers” or “grave concerns” for the public to worry about … only “questions” of “academic interest” (for examples of such expert quotes see http://oil.disl.org/pdf/DHOSPerspective.pdf – for examples of irresponsible media keep reading Umpteen Horizons).

Umpteen Horizons Dreams

Posted on by
2

In the face of adversity, what’s the difference between “try” and “triumph?” Last night I had some interesting sets of dreams. Each time I woke up one word would come to mind right away – then I’d go back to sleep:

  • first dreams – “misunderstood”
  • second dreams – “persecuted”
  • third dreams – “upbeat”

When I woke up the third time, I asked myself, how can I remember these words? MUP, no; PUM, no. UMP or better UMPH, yeah, as in the “umph!” of Umpteen Horizons – and “umph!” as in the difference between “try” and “triumph!”

When I got up in the morning from my bed, other words came to mind right away from “umpteen:” T for “truth” as in conveying and being faithful to the “truth;” E for “eternal” as in living with all time frames in mind and getting beyond our individual interests; E for “energetic” as in working hard; N for focusing on and meeting the “needs” of others “now.” 

There’s a clear story coming out of Wikileaks. The “powers-that-be” regularly lie as just part of way they do business. Why should we believe a government who does not tell us the true scope of an ongoing disaster? Why does it take independent researchers using standard methods only hours to figure out how much oil is spewing from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster? And why are these independent researchers persecuted (see also Empower News tab above and check Gulf Coast news)? And why should we trust the upcoming better-late-than-never government health study? Why should anybody trust the U.S. government when several U.S. administrations including the present one worked with China to derail international efforts to protect the environment?

Of course, not all is lost, people, like the independent researchers, like us, can make a difference. For example, in the health arena, an important Gulf Coast health study was released yesterday. It was conducted by Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and many volunteers helped to make this study possible. This study documents that large numbers of people in coastal communities believe that they have been exposed to oil and dispersants and have suffered from the affects of oil and dispersants (“48 percent of those surveyed reported an unusual spike of at least one health symptom”).

As Jesus said, “Blest are you who are persecuted, insulted, misunderstood … be glad and upbeat … you are the salt and light of the Earth!” (see Matthew 5). You are needed and together we will make a difference!

So, if you possibly can, come join the volunteers who are helping to build a quarter mile of oyster reef at Helen Wood Park in Mobile, just north of Dog River, on March 19, 8:00 to noon!

Lyrics from “Don’t look back” (video on left):

Don’t look back a new day is breakin

It’s been too long since I felt this way

I don’t mind where I get taken

The road is callin, today is the day …

(for full lyrics go to Zone Lyrics)