Calling the Arctic

During my occasional working days here in Brussels, I have lots of time on busses and trains to think about how much I miss my bike and the topics of my next podcasts.

For the next few months I will be frequently touching upon the topic of the Arctic and the race to exploit its resources, re-claim property rights, and the ongoing accelerating process of global warming effecting the region (and in turn, the world).

While mainstream media has dedicated the occasional article on this topic, they focus mostly on the horserace or “competition” between Russia, Canada, US, and Denmark (no mentions of Norway lately). Some tacit attention is given to the political conflict and the use of “submarines” by Russia to plant an underground flag or something to that effect.

What lacks is the real details that effect people’s lives. The information regarding exactly what these nations are doing and plan to do in the name of political power, economics, and what some call progress. They leave out the communities that live in and around the arctic, how they are being effected by all these activities. Rising sea level, melting of the ice caps, increased ship traffic.. these things all come with a price. And then take that to a global level, because the arctic is such an important place for everyone that exists on this planet.. and our collective future.

Some scientific magazines and organizations are indeed dedicating time and energy to bring this information to the public. But this still leaves a huge segment of the global population in the dark, those who continue to look to the media giants for knowledge about the world around them, including the activity of their government in far off places. So long as this disfunctional information relationship continues, it remains much too easy for the powerful governments to mount an aggressive campaign to pick apart the arctic no matter what the cost.

As a podcaster, journalist, and concerned world citizen, these next few months will be dedicated to more in-depth research on the arctic crisis. More interviews with people living and breathing the situation, and with the desire to share their knowledge and experiences with a curious and concerned audience.

Unsustainable European Vacationing

It has always seemed like, when compared with say – the US, Europe is credited for being more environmentally conscious.

Indeed, when you look at many Central European capitals, there is strong evidence when it comes to energy conservation, waste management, and alternative transport investment. Daily life might be said to have a flavor of “environmental consciousness”.

Yet as I look around during my recent semi-vacations to places like where I sit now – Portugal’s southern beach paradise: Algarve, there is a far different spirit.
Perhaps it begins at the airport, as you sit waiting to get on your giant carbon generating flight, a look out across the tarmac reveals a big number of new airline companies you’ve never heard of. Indeed after all the 9/11 airline industry drama, low cost flights are booming in Europe, and it would seem that every filthy rich business person is launching some easyjet style point, click, and pollute airline. And the people are eating it up, even if they militantly recycle and never leave the lights on at home.

At the popular destinations, Europeans seem to also take a break from their green lives. Renting cars and driving all over beach resorts, many of which have no public transportation anyway, and you don’t vote or live there so no chance to vote on that issue anytime soon. Instead there are cars everywhere, including the SUV’s since many Mediterranean getaways involve some crazy uphill offroad pollute-the-place driving.

Then you head to the hotel, where the towels are washed everyday with lots of industrial chemical filled detergents, and people specialize in leaving the lights on or turning the air condition nice and high. Or maybe they buy a fancy new vila built on what was formerly the natural habitat of plants and animals.

All this can be topped off by a big meal at a local restaurant that uses lots of non-recyclable materials, maintains all kinds of energy in-efficiant fridges, and gives you lots of plastic bottles which you happily take and possibly throw into a random trash can later. Or it stays on the beach and the beach fairy recycles it.

I know there are ambitious green vacation projects taking root, even in places like Portugal where I recently stopped at an ecological farm. But I also know that an unsustainable number of middle and upperclass Europeans are coming to these massively popular destinations and getting away from it all, including their sense of respect for the environment. And the tourist destinations themselves aren’t doing nearly enough to help in the process, keeping the priority to the timeless goal of making big bucks this summer and worrying about everything else later. Even if there is no later.

Going green in our daily lives is more than a nice idea, it is absolutely necessary for having any kind of future. But it is not something we as Europeans should pat ourselves on the back for and then take a vacation from it as if we’ve done enough. It is a lifestyle for everyday, anywhere and everywhere.

bm205 Global Shipping and Its Pollution

The typical mainstream discussion about global warming contains mostly conversations about political deals, automobile usage, and where they’re putting a new wind farm. Yet one area that rarely gets written about is that of the shipping industry, where most of the world’s goods are transported. What kind of pollution risks does the industry bring and what are ship designers saying about it? Damian Tatum joins me from New Orleans to discuss this and more.

COmmon Dreams Article on CO2 emissions from shipping
Friends of the Earth Press Release also related

We Discuss:
– What ships are built on the gulf coast
– What kind of pollution to ships generate
– Who regulates the ships
– Are there steps that ship designers are taking to address climate change needs
– Why isn’t it discussed?
– Is there need to worry
– What Companies are involved
– Will the public get concerned?

 

My North Jersey, UnderWater

My dear Anna over at the Voice wrote to me about the flooding in New Jersey. I had heard something this morning about flooding in New Jersey, but it hadn’t occurred to me that it was taking place in the area I love deeply… the Passaic River/Paterson, NJ.

I flipped through the pictures of flooded parts around the river, areas that I lived so near to and so often visited. Kept thinking of the subject heading of her email “when did New Jersey become New Orleans?” Then I thought about the Army Corps of Engineers, who not too long ago warned that New York, along with Miami and NEw Orleans, are the areas at the highest risk in the country for damage from extreme weather. I also remembered an article Wayne had in the Village Voice a few weeks ago on how under prepared NYC is. Clearly so is New Jersey, just across the river.

Besides extreme storms, such as the one that caused much of this flooding, over-development (they build houses anywhere and everywhere) and the destruction of the wetlands have already been cited as contributing factors to this disaster.

In so many places in the world, they just ignore all the warning signs and all the knowledge, and keep on destroying natural buffers and barriers… keep selling off land to developers.. anyone who will pay a good price for a plot of land.

How are my North Jerseyan readers faring today?

Amsterdam Pauses

As I’ve probably too often joked, global warming=amsterdam as a tropical paradise before it gets swallowed up by the sea.

Well.. here we are.. April and looking around today.. tropical paradise is upon us.

Environmental Backlash

Dear Paris:

Did you get the memo from the United Nations? – Global warming is a fact. A fact. Furthermore… a fact.

I mention this because it has come to my attention that you are turning on your environmentally conscious mayor. You dislike him because he’s making special bus and bike lanes and he’s closing some roads to traffic on weekends in favor of people walking, biking, and anything else. You hate him, and you’ll likely vote him out as soon as possible. He is a threat to you and the car that you love to drive everywhere.

But dear Parisien(ne), didn’t you read the report? Didn’t you hear the news? Did you notice the flowers blooming in February and the fact that you could have worn shorts today? This is no longer a test. This is not an optional thing. This is not about when it is conventient for YOU. This is happenning now, and it demands action.

Or maybe you’ll just drive in cricles. Till the river rises up and floods you out of house in home. Or extreme storms and mysterious tornadoes tear through your neighborhood. Maybe you drive around trying to outrun the record heat this summer. Ignore the arctic ice and Al Gore, drive that your new HumVee over to the overpriced café for a drink. Then drive around some more. Vote out that dam mayor and take a pic-axe to those bike lanes and buses. Pee on the metro and spit on the new tram line. After all.. you are a driver… it is your world.

Dear Parisien(ne)…. say it ain’t so?

your friend on two wheels,
bicyclemark