The sounds of the devil come not long after the thunder, (Out of the craters of Virunga, the fire the rains can’t dampen) new guns to wage war on paradise. His serpent uncoils in verdant Eden, Eyes of amber and heart of darkness, the beast they call the mighty Congo whose black tributaries feed these savage … Continue reading The Fires of Virunga
Conservation
Invasion of the blob-type floaty thing
No, this is not a fictional piece. And it's not a review of some crappy 50's B-movie creature feature - although it is ultimately more scary. It's about the impending death of our oceans and the rise of the jellyfish, and after reading this you'll think the Creature From the Black Lagoon was about as scary … Continue reading Invasion of the blob-type floaty thing
A Drop in the Ocean…but it’s a start!
With so much depressing news concerning the environment and man's appetite for destruction hogging the headlines we need to grab hold of every scrap of good news we can, shout it from the rooftops, unfurl the banners and run naked through the streets gleefully singing Michael Jackson's "Heal the World." Okay, maybe not that last bit. … Continue reading A Drop in the Ocean…but it’s a start!
What if …
Read this and change the way you think about waste and the throw-away society.
What if everything we threw out of our homes had our name on it? What if everything that we discarded had its value printed on it? The cost of packaging? The value of the wasted food? If in dollar terms we could see just how much our trash bins were worth at the end of the day; in real amounts the cost of our garbage.
What would that mean? Would we waste less?
What if we physically had to hand over how much ‘garbage’ we produced on a daily or a weekly basis to a stranger or to someone we knew. What changes would this evoke? Would it be embarrassing to see how much food was wasted, how many still usable items were discarded because you changed your mind, it was slightly broken or the color scheme in your kitchen/bedroom/lounge changed and a particular item no longer matched.
What if…
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The Lion Sleeps (less soundly) Tonight
It feels like I've been neglecting my blog a bit lately, but other things have started to take precedence. That's the problem for me - the creative muscle is stronger than the other components that go into being a writer: new ideas overtake older ones before they are finished. Still, I haven't forgotten what inspired … Continue reading The Lion Sleeps (less soundly) Tonight
Grizzly End for the Grizzly Man
It was nine years ago today that Timothy Treadwell died in the wilds of Alaska, killed by an unbridled passion for the wilderness, and in particular, the animal he had dedicated his life to protect. You may or may not be aware of the story of Timothy Treadwell. Indeed, you may have seen Werner Herzog’s … Continue reading Grizzly End for the Grizzly Man
Sharks Facing Extinction
This post is a response to a tweet I read from Shark Defenders, asking for bloggers to post about their combined initiative with South Pacific Projects. I was more than happy to oblige. This is a subject I have been aware of for some time, without ever really knowing the complete magnitude of the problem. … Continue reading Sharks Facing Extinction
The Great Plastic Inevitable
Anyone who was around in the 60's (sadly, I am too young), or knows their music and pop art, might be familiar with the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, an Andy Warhol show featuring music from the Velvet Underground alongside screenings of the artist's work. Andy Warhol was also famous for his Campbells Soup image. So, what's … Continue reading The Great Plastic Inevitable
The Scream of the Butterfly
I’m not very clued up when it comes to art. In fact, I’m probably more attuned to the works of Tony Hart and Rolf “Can you guess what is yet?” Harris than I am to any of the greats (not saying you’re not great, Rolf!). Probably the only painting that has had much of an … Continue reading The Scream of the Butterfly
Wild Places: A Bucket List
I suppose we all have one, and even if it’s not written down on an official list it resides up there in grey matter, buffeted by a multitude of daily chores, soap-opera plots and countless other bits of mundane information, like this: there is approximately one chicken for every human being in the world. Which … Continue reading Wild Places: A Bucket List
Blurred Worlds 