Why.

IQ or Qi?

I was just as obsessed with martial arts as any other 13 year old boy who saw Ralph Macchio kick the Cobra kai's asses in Karate Kid, so I convinced my parents to enroll me in a Kung Fu class. During this class I'd heard the word Qi used for the first time. My teacher didn't explain it explicitly, and the best I could decipher was it was some force of telekinetic energy that could move a floating match in a cup of water. (I'd heard this could be done, but had never seen it.) Being raised a Christian Scientist, a religion that spites it's name with a holistic dogma based on eastern philosophy, I was much more open to this kind of idea than most christian children. But soon disillusioned with anything that "couldn't be proven by scientific experimentation" in my high school chemistry class, I promptly forgot about Qi until the new karate kid movie came out and my nostalgic ass was roped into paying 12 bucks to watch the fresh prince's son beat up some Chinese kid. (insert Geo-political propaganda conspiracy here.)

You tube being an infinite source of data for any researcher (or any 13 year old boy), so I found many videos of 7th generation masters who could knock people over by doing some Tai Chi moves for few seconds. Accepting the possibility that this was real, I was impressed by way that this supposed force of QI acted upon the subjects- it didn't knock them over like a punch, it just made them increasingly dizzy until they couldn't stand anymore.

So how is this done? My concept of Qi had always equated it with " use the force, lucas"-- some ethereal energy that could be harnessed for telekinesis. But what I observed was something that impaired brain function directly. This ability would not work on inanimate objects-- something i had never considered before. This led me to a hypotheses that the brain function is impaired by a powerful magnetic field that is created by a static electric build up of energy of the Qi masters. Compressing the air between the wrists and moving that air cause electrostatic charge to build up due to the resistance of the pressured air over the skin surface. A negatively changed skin surface on both of your hands could be used to gather and contain air in a pressurized bubble- a positively charged ball of air that could be contained by a encompassing negative electric field created by the hands. Could this high pressure air be "thrown" to created a high pressure wave that make people dizzy?

Or perhaps the only truth is that all phenomena are the result of the quantity of belief in the existence of said phenomena. IQ or QI?

Hmmmm........

What me, Change?

Changing our environment starts with changing our thought processes- the easiest way to alter behavior is to increase monetary gain. People respond most readily to initiatives that effect the bottom line. Conserving land resources with ethical and economic devices allows for effective management of growth that can support the needs of human and natural elements of the landscape by reducing the human effect on the environment and finding ways to maximize resource utilization without compromising the ecological integrity of our land.

The geo-morphlogy of a stream is influenced as much humans factors as it has been by glaciers. The effects of farming, logging and construction on our watersheds have shape the land as powerfully as any hurricane or tornado. Social networking has reduced the amount of trees needed to make paper, but increased demand for lithium batteries and hydro-carbon energy. Technology and fashion are constantly shifting resource consumption. Remember Polyester?

Lets not let that happen again.

Musing on Abbey

Came across a letter Ed Abbey wrote home asking for a loan to buy a practically new '47 ford for 350 bucks. He concludes that section by telling his parents not to send him the money or his monthly stipend- he's just gonna waste it anyway. He also wrote an essay called Principa Aesthetica that I would love to read. Anyone ever heard of it?

Oh, and while I'm asking for things I can't have, anyone have a lead on his grave? Has that book been written yet? "Searching for Abbey?" Seems like now would be a good time to catapult his name into the media monster and get his ideas some press. No one was more involved the conservation debate than Abbey. And his ideas might dovetail nicely with the the Local movement . When the scale is small enough, concerning management techniques are much less objectionable to people with preservationist ideals.

A friend of mine who reminds me if Abbey lives in a tent in northern Vermont year round, was outraged that they are putting windmills on the spine mountain range across from his tent. So what, I tell him, wind-power is good, it helps the environment, yada, yada, yada. And he agreed with me on principal. But when he pointed out that the sun would set over those windmills ever night for as long as he lived here. He can't watch the sunset again without being reminded of of mans craving for electricity. "And I'm not even fucking using any of it!" He says.

Now, it's easy to throw the NIMBY card on the table at this point and claim that they have to go somewhere. And it's true- they do have to go somewhere, but they don't have to be so BIG and so FEW. They can be Small and many, and dispersed around the landscape. This will stimulate the economy of individual landowners with both tax breaks and income from the power they sell back to the grid, and prevent the political bickering created by placing windmills on public land. Some zoning precedence will need to be set for sure, but wouldn't this solution help to alleviate the polarity in this argument and allow for power to be generated and distributed in local networks- a very positive step toward energy independence.

food for thought, thanks to Abbey.

April Fools?

How does the world make a massive shift toward sustainable living? We need a catalyst to begin this chain reaction toward sustainable solutions. The infrastructure of support is growing on the grassroots level. Modern communications can disseminate information at speeds never before imagined. Sustainable living solutions are everywhere, there are companies, non-profits and NGO’s all espousing ways to become more sustainable. The necessity of change becomes more apparent as resources deplete. We have the tools, technology and information we need. We lack the people, desire and understanding needed to create positive action. A critical mass is required for any reaction to take place. This what is missing from the so-called “green revolution”. To create critical mass you need a small input of energy at the correct time and place: a catalyst. This catalyst provides the input necessary to fuse efforts together and create forward action toward sustainability.

Dwight Elgin discuses this catalyst in his book _____. He states that in order for humanity to continue surviving as the dominant species on earth, we must “bounce” to the next evolutionary level or suffer the inevitability of overpopulation and resource exhaustion. This coincides with Darwin’s theory of natural selection, where genetic mutations become beneficial adaptations through years of involuntary eugenics. While natural selection involves the “bounce” of the individual, Elgin’s theory deals with the mutation of species as whole. This seems impossible if looked at from a purely physical point of view. Humans cannot instantaneously grow and extra foot or arm let alone do this simultaneously with everyone else. However, if we think of the evolving of thought, or consciousness, this idea is not so far fetched. The major achievements of our history have all been due to radical changes of thought. The same will hold true for our future, in order to continue to sustain our species, we must “bounce” our consciousness to a new level. The evolution of consciousness is our catalyst.

The evolved consciousness will cease humanity’s destructive policies in favor of solidarity and sustainability. Current human consciousness, defined by Decartes immortal “I am”, is a singular expression of the individual. This is the consciousness of a spoiled child, who selfishly considers his wants more important than others needs. Evolving beyond individual consciousness to the global collective puts the needs of the whole over the want of the individual. The “I am” consciousness changes to “We are”. The necessary solution for a sustainable world requires first establishing a global collective consciousness.

Establishing a global collective consciousness is process of succession. The individual struggling to meet daily needs will not evolve consciousness. Subsistence living does not allow for anything but personal survival. Surplus must be achieved before consciousness is evolved. As a whole, humans produce enough resources per capita to provide this surplus. Why is it then that people are still without food and clean water in this world? The problem lies in distribution. The largest portion of the surplus goes to sustain the smallest (and richest) part of the population. Redistribution of wealth is the key to providing a surplus for all, thus allowing an evolution of consciousness.

Long a goal of sustainable development, the construction of the green economy solves a myriad of problems. Creating this new economy eliminates environmental concerns and many barriers to sustainability. Furthermore, it is a vehicle for redistribution. The “third world” is wallowing in the dregs of oil based economics, trying to build an energy infrastructure that will soon be obsolete. With fossil fuel still economically viable, the “first world” refuses to replace it’s entrenched infrastructure with renewable energy sources. Logically, we plant the seed for the green economy where it will most likely take root, in the fertile soil of the poor and oppressed. Construction of a new renewable energy infrastructure creates jobs, increased industry and development and enough investment opportunities top interest big business. This “New Deal” for the third world increases surplus for the individual, closing the gap between the world’s rich and poor. Solidarity increases; the mechanisms for global consciousness begin to tick.

It seems impossible to evolve world consciousness, redistribute wealth, and create global green energy revolution all in one fell swoop. It certainly is a big charter. But the world isn’t changed by doing only what’s possible. Idealism becomes practicality when necessity dictates. The importance of this consciousness ideal lies not in the plan, but in the action. Now, more than ever before in history, our individual actions have inestimable effect on the rest of the planet. The choice of whether these actions will help or harm humanity’s future lies at our doorstep. Evolving our consciousness simply means actively choosing to live for the betterment of humanity. As Ghandi once said, “¼to renounce self interest¼will make not only for our own happiness, but that of the world at large”

To Russia with Love

When individuals, governments, and religions are destructive, these acts are terrifying. The effectiveness of one individuals destructiveness was so brutally illustrated today. That bomb killed many, but the aftershocks of fear were felt by all.

Terrorism only works because of the media. The only infallible way to get western news cameras to pay attention to you is blow people up.. Is Fear factor still on T.V.? Ever fear for your life while watching fox news? How many times did you hear the phrase Fear Mongering during the health care debate? Scaring people works. Fear is the great motivator of humanity, it shapes our culture with it's intensity. (How long ago was the cold war?)

So, to whoever is the leadership behind these grotesque displays of fear- I think you have every right to be angry. You deserve to scream and be loud and scary. But couldn't 20 healthy people screaming their lungs off in a subway tunnel have accomplished the same thing as what you did today? Terror doesn't have to come at he cost of human lives. Find other ways. Stop doing these terrible things. Please.

Common mergansers on the pond in the rain

The rain is gentle today, but still falling hard enough to blur the white shapes on the pond. At first I thought they were just the little ice burgs you see floating on the lakes this time of year, but I drive past here every morning and i knew this pond had been open for a while. I stop my car in the middle of the road because ducks are more important than whatever appointment I am late for, and grab the binoculars that are ever present on the passenger seat beside me, (and yes, if you ride shotgun in my car you will have to carry them in your lap.) Three common mergansers glide effortlessly across the water like little Irish step dancers, immobile bodies graciously moving across the surface while frantic feet churn beneath them.

The water droplets on my 10X 30's create a fun house mirror effect. Huge rusty heads with bulging foreheads and needle thin red bills with bright white undersides that glare into rainbows though the greasy film on my binoculars lenses. I watch for a moment, then the green head of the male dips sharply and dives, a practiced motion that turns him into a feathered fish for as long as he can hold his breath.

So..... why do we call these birds common?