Coyote - photograph by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On June 15 of this year, while seeking guidance in my family’s decision to move from Dauphin Island, I began reading some Native American works about “vision quests” ...
Click here for full view of this post: The Coyote and Our New Home]]>

Coyote - photograph by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On June 15 of this year, while seeking guidance in my family’s decision to move from Dauphin Island, I began reading some Native American works about “vision quests” or “lamenting” or “crying out for vision.” The advice in the readings included the consultation of someone old and wise. Later in the early evening, from our house on the Island, I began my quest taking a walk with no particular destination in mind. From Bienville Avenue, I entered the Audubon Bird Sanctuary and found my way to a wise friend and Spirit bearer, the large old magnolia tree. Placing my hands high onto it and leaning forward on it, I stayed there asking for “vision” and “guidance.” Walking home by way of the beach, I saw the moon rising after its eclipse. The moon was a remarkable yellowish, orange color. Throughout the night, I continued my urgent request for vision.

Later that night, in a dream, I was walking through a large capitol like Washington, D.C. This place was under some vague threat, but I was a tourist, a spectator, taking pictures, and I and the other tourists were not particularly concerned about the threat. Soon I came to a stunning, silvery, domed structure with many openings that connected it to the outside. As I was admiring the structure and its outside gardens, a coyote appeared. The coyote was alert and engaging as it darted quickly around the structure. I was barely able to get a photograph of the coyote, when the coyote was once again out of sight.

After the coyote’s appearance, I and the other tourists looked at each other. We knew we had been warned. We knew that we should flee. But the lure of the capitol was strong, and why shouldn’t we enjoy this day a little more, why not see one more attraction, we’d probably be fine. So I kept walking around the domed structure, but then someone shouted, “I see it!” Instinctively, I knew it must be a missile, and I imagined that the person who had shouted must have seen the fire coming from the missile on its approach. With no looking back, I ran as fast as I could in full panic trying to get to some place of safety before the explosion. I knew that the other people must be running too. As I ran and ran, I was so frightened that I did not even dare to look to the side. Still sprinting hard, as I was nearing an area with some tall grass that I thought might afford some safety, the explosion slammed into my back and threw me forward. Still in midair, questioning whether I would live or die, I woke up.

The next day at breakfast, I told my family about the dream. Then, in consultation with my family, I identified three pieces of property that might be right for us.

The following day, I made appointments for myself at each of the three properties. Each of the appointments was for the next day. When I went to the appointments for the first two properties, they were less than I had expected. When I went to find the third property, I had trouble finding it, but with help of some people in the area I was able to find it. There were lots of birds, blueberry bushes, trees, and a small country house. The real estate person wasn’t there. I knocked on the door but no one answered.

I decided to take a quick walk around the house and then go into the field in the back. As I was walking on a cleared pathway in the field, I saw an animal along the backside of the field in the tall grass. The animal and I both stopped. We just stared at each other. I wondered what it was. A wolf? A German shepherd?  I was glad that I was carrying a walking stick. Before long we both gained confidence and continued along the way we were going. This brought us closer together until the animal entered the same pathway that I was on. At that moment, it stopped again and looked at me. Out of the tall grass, I could see the coyote clearly. Half with a laugh but much more with astonishment, I asked, “So, is this it, God? Is this how far we have to go to be safe?”

Of course, it’s a longer story with many more details, but this property is now our new home – Deer Park – Washington County, Alabama – just north of Citronelle. We plan to remain connected to and committed to the coast – its people and nature. But now we’re also sharing a new home with new animals, deer and even bear. We hope to do some serious gardening and are meeting wonderful people up here.

In terms of safety (and sustainability), everyone should follow their own heart. Each person’s heart may lead in different directions for different reasons. Ours has led us to Deer Park. Yet all our paths are interconnected. Each person and each family must find their own path. Seek, be patient and alert, wait, listen, …

Our new home in the country with Leo, Julita, and Edward - photographed November 12, 2011.

Rosie, Julita, Edward, and Leo enjoying a picnic in the field - photographed November 12, 2011.

Navy diver off the coast of Panama City, Florida - photographed February 16, 2005 by Andy McKaskle.

The No New Drilling Act of 2011, H.R. 261, was introduced into the U.S. ...
Click here for full view of this post: No New Drilling Act and Positive Personal Acts]]>

Navy diver off the coast of Panama City, Florida - photographed February 16, 2005 by Andy McKaskle.

The No New Drilling Act of 2011, H.R. 261, was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Frank Palone of New Jersey. Current co-sponsors are Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida and John Garamendi of California.

The bill provides valuable protection of the precious outer continental shelf by prohibiting all new off-shore mining leases on the outer continental shelf including new oil-drilling leases. Such new mining efforts would increase the ongoing dangers to our coasts due to future oil catastrophes and other potential catastrophes. The bill would also help safeguard clean coastal industries, recreation, and coastal communities and their ways of life (see full text).

Of course, not all Americans will agree with or support this legislation. But I and just about all of us have much to consider and reconsider. Our energy use as Americans is far more than we need and it puts our whole planet at risk in terms of ecological disasters created in the pursuit of energy and ongoing environmental damage caused by energy use. By way of comparison, we, Americans, use much more energy per capita than comparably “developed” countries: Germany (we use 85% more), Japan (we use 92% more), and the United Kingdom (we use 98% more) (see list of countries’ usage). Compared to most other countries we use much more energy. For example, compared to Costa Rica, a Central American country with a higher life expectancy than the United States, we use 786% more energy per capita. Maybe we all have much to learn from one another.

I’m not holding my breath on the passage of the No New Drilling Act of 2011. But conserving energy is something each person can decide to do, and it reduces pollution and other catastrophic risks, one person at a time. So as long as my family and I are healthy, I can lower our thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. I can also adjust the thermostat depending upon whether we’re home or not. I can make sure I keep the heating/cooling system running efficiently with clean filters. I can turn energy saving lights off whenever I leave a room. I can adjust the hot water heater and put an insulator around it (lots of energy saving info here).

But I’m not giving up on promising legislation either. Because I want to protect the ecological wonder of the continental shelf, and because I believe we can reduce our energy use and find ways to produce cleaner and safer energy, I’m calling the Capital Switchboard toll-free at 866-306-3552 and asking my Congressperson support to the No New Drilling Act of 2011, H. R. 261.

Satellite photo of oil catastrophe - one of the many photos available at OCEAN-OIL

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Boston University, Louisiana State University, and the National Council for Science ...
Click here for full view of this post: OCEAN-OIL Website Created for Gulf Oil Catastrophe]]>

Satellite photo of oil catastrophe - one of the many photos available at OCEAN-OIL

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Boston University, Louisiana State University, and the National Council for Science and the Environment have created the Online Clearinghouse for Education And Networking: Oil Interdisciplinary Learning (OCEAN-OIL). The site, part of the Encyclopedia of Earth website, is open-access and peer-reviewed allowing scientists, teachers, and concerned citizens to make contributions.

OCEAN-OIL has three project goals: “(1) Spur activity to develop and share educationally-valuable resources; (2) Facilitate dissemination and adoption of these materials in education; and (3) Promote deep thinking about the relationship between humans, their needs and wants, and the Earth.”

OCEAN-OIL’s current resources include over 1000 articles on the oil catastrophe, an oil spill glossary, and resource links as well as many other resources.

The submission process to OCEAN-OIL for several of Umpteen Horizons articles relating to the gulf oil catastrophe has begun including our proposals to the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama (see below).

We will have an informal Future of the Gulf get-together on Thursday evening, 6:00 P.M., December 9,  at the Golden Corral in the Tillman’s Corner area. If you are interested, please email me at denton2100@gmail.com.

Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorm -Proposals for the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama

Ecological Needs 

• Clean, restore, and enhance gulf and bays
• Build and enhance 100 miles of oyster reefs and 1000+ acres of coastal marsh and seagrass – see http://100-1000.org/
• Ensure that water, air, and food are safe with ongoing long-term testing – data should be fully and immediately available to the public
• Develop comprehensive, fail-safe regulations to prevent future oil catastrophes – prevention is a great deal better than the cure

Coastal Community Participation 

• Enlist local decision making and employment in coastal recovery efforts
• Invest in coastal economic opportunities to support sustainable coastal recovery and enhance Alabama’s coastal areas and waters
• Train south Alabama medical professionals to diagnose and treat environmental health conditions potentially related to the oil catastrophe
• Immediate public transparency on all issues relating to public health such as the use of dispersants in area waters and the ongoing presence of oil and other health threats in area waters
• Listen and learn from coastal communities in order to improve future responses to coastal disasters such as oil spills and hurricanes

Education and Support Initiatives for Oil-Affected Families

• Grant full scholarships for children of low-income, oil-affected families to local universities, community colleges, or technical schools
• Provide job training and a support system for coastal workers and others who have lost their livelihoods due to the oil catastrophe
• Enhance science curriculum at all levels (K through college) to better appreciate Alabama’s coastal environment and to provide appropriate service-learning programs to support the environment (see service-learning resource center at the University of South Alabama http://caslce.usouthal.edu/)

 Coastal Fire Protection 

• Develop a unified, comprehensive plan for coastal fire fighting resources
• Several coastal communities need multipurpose fire engines with 75-foot ladders and with storage for water and foam
• Fire and rescue response boat powered by twin engines and capable of pumping water from sea
• New bunker gear capable of protecting the well-being of the firemen and providing self-contained breathing for firemen
• Radio communications for hazardous-materials quick response needs that connect Mobile, Baldwin, and neighboring counties in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida

Time for your voice to be heard!

Many families in coastal South Alabama depend on a sound coastal environment for their livelihoods. The ...
Click here for full view of this post: Proposals for the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama]]>

Time for your voice to be heard!

Many families in coastal South Alabama depend on a sound coastal environment for their livelihoods. The coastal communities in south Mobile County have been assaulted by the oil catastrophe. Many families are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing oil catastrophe. These proposals provide needed tangible benefits for these communities.

The proposals have emerged from several community brainstorms held in Coden and on Dauphin Island. These proposals are sensitive to community needs and the goals of the Commission. The set of proposals are not meant to be comprehensive but to be included in the comprehensive plan being developed by the Commission.

Ecological Needs 

• Clean, restore, and enhance gulf and bays
• Build and enhance 100 miles of oyster reefs and 1000+ acres of coastal marsh and seagrass – see http://100-1000.org/
• Ensure that water, air, and food are safe with ongoing long-term testing – data should be fully and immediately available to the public
• Develop comprehensive, fail-safe regulations to prevent future oil catastrophes – prevention is a great deal better than the cure

Coastal Community Participation 

• Enlist local decision making and employment in coastal recovery efforts
• Invest in coastal economic opportunities to support sustainable coastal recovery and enhance Alabama’s coastal areas and waters
• Train south Alabama medical professionals to diagnose and treat environmental health conditions potentially related to the oil catastrophe
• Immediate public transparency on all issues relating to public health such as the use of dispersants in area waters and the ongoing presence of oil and other health threats in area waters
• Listen and learn from coastal communities in order to improve future responses to coastal disasters such as oil spills and hurricanes

Education and Support Initiatives for Oil-Affected Families

• Grant full scholarships for children of low-income, oil-affected families to local universities, community colleges, or technical schools
• Provide job training and a support system for coastal workers and others who have lost their livelihoods due to the oil catastrophe
• Enhance science curriculum at all levels (K through college) to better appreciate Alabama’s coastal environment and to provide appropriate service-learning programs to support the environment (see service-learning resource center at the University of South Alabama http://caslce.usouthal.edu/)

 Coastal Fire Protection 

• Develop a unified, comprehensive plan for coastal fire fighting resources
• Several coastal communities need multipurpose fire engines with 75-foot ladders and with storage for water and foam
• Fire and rescue response boat powered by twin engines and capable of pumping water from sea
• New bunker gear capable of protecting the well-being of the firemen and providing self-contained breathing for firemen
• Radio communications for hazardous-materials quick response needs that connect Mobile, Baldwin, and neighboring counties in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida

These proposals will be submitted to the Commission this evening at the Bayou La Batre Community Center. This is a public meeting for the Commission to share its plans and receive input from the public. Meeting starts at 5:30 P.M.