Auckland, Sept 08

Just a few photos of life on the North Shore of Auckland:

The wisteria is coming into bloom:

























There are rainbows nearly every day, and I was blessed to capture this one, with Rangitoto Island in the background. Rangitoto is a dormant volcano.

































I took Dray for a walk on the beach. Dogs are allowed during the day until Daylight Savings time begins in a few weeks.








This rock is just a bit big for him, but he did get it dug up and carried it for a while!






Dray belongs to Pasquale and Michelle. Pasquale is an Italian Kiwi and classical guitarist. I created a website for him at http://www.freewebs.com/ and located some great free business cards for him at http://www.vistaprint.co.nz/

Early Fall in Minnesota

The last few days of my time in Minnesota after the Peace Island Conference were spent in White Bear Lake - packing, seeing friends, and going on an airplane ride with Kurt, the security guard. Here are some photos:

White Bear Lake has its Farmer's Market every Friday morning in summer. the light was just right to capture it.

These unusual tomatoes are heritage varieties.

Dorothy Johnson, former Executive Director of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, came to visit me while I was at White Bear Lake. I had not seen her for years. We worked closely together when I was on the board of the Society for 8 years.

Ellen and Tom are my hosts in White Bear Lake. We went to breakfast at the Keys restaurant in White Bear Lake before I left town.

My sister Sandy and I had breakfast at The Copper Dome in St. Paul before I left.

It is always interesting to me to watch the Canadian geese. One is always on the lookout for the others as they eat. This family group was fueling up, and getting ready for their long flight south. (Just like me!)

I finally got a good shot of the egret which hangs around Manitou Island, before I left.

And more geese

Kurt and I had a lovely flight in his two seater airplane. We flew to a small town in Wisconsin where a delightful restaurant was within walking distance of the municipal airport - in Bryceville, Wisconsin.

Here's Kurt and his plane

Some of the beautiful countryside below us:

And landing.

No, I did not pilot the plane. This was just for fun.

Peace Island Conference

World Peace Prayer: Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth. Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.

Before leaving the US for New Zealand, I attended the Peace Island Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota - held during the time of the Republican National Convention, Sept 2 and 3.

There were about 350 attendees. It would have been more, of course, but it was held mid-week, Tuesday and Wednesday, so many working folks couldn't attend.

I learned a lot from the speakers and the people in the Exhibitors Hall. Here are the key points I picked up that might be of interest to you:

1. The Natural Step Framework 4 Sustainability Projects
Speaker: Terry Gips, President, Alliance for Sustainability, http://www.afors.org/

Terry told us of the remarkable progress Sweden has made in implementing sustainability. And, as usual, it started because of one person with a vision. In this case, Karl-Henrik Robert, a doctor who was concerned about rising cancer rates in children, and decided to do something about it.

First he researched. This convinced him that cancer was mostly caused by environmental factors. Then he began a consensus process among his fellow researchers on the conditions for planetary sustainability. This consensus part is really important. After 21 drafts, Robert achieved consensus among 50 leading Swedish scientists. Now he was ready to go broader. He contacted major corporations, and persuaded them to fund an audiocassette and 44 page educational pamphlet on sustainability and The Natural Step framework to every home and school in Sweden: 4.3 million total. This step got everyone engaged, and inspired the King of Sweden to support it as well. Since then, many companies have implemented these principles. You may know some: Ikea, Electrolux; even McDonalds. McDonalds franchises in Sweden sell only organic milk, and serve veggie burgers and hamburgers with organic beef. Imagine!

More than 70 Swedish cities and towns became eco-municipalities. Conventional farmers made a commitment to become sustainable, and reduced pesticide use by 75% in less than a decade.
Now, fully 20% of all the farmers in Sweden are organic farmers. It is very encouraging for me to see that major change can happen quickly. And, that one person, just one person, can make a very large difference in this world.

Here are the 4 steps to a sustainable society:
1. Limit what we take from the earth's crust - Metals/Minerals and Fossil Fuels
2. Avoid toxic substances that we make - Hazardous Chemicals, Pesticides, Plastics
3. Care for what we do to the earth - Species, Trees, Water and other Eco-systems
4. Meet the fundamental needs of every person on the planet - Health and Well-being, Social Justice, Community

Terry Gips gave us a Personal Action Check List based on these 4 steps. In looking at the list, I can see several areas I still need to work on. Like buying organic food whenever it is available to me. Eat less, eat better. But of course the biggest issue by far for me is eliminating airplanes from my transport options, unless it is an emergency.

Here is a link to this check list, and more information on how the Natural Step Framework can help us make rapid changes in our culture: http://www.afs.nonprofitoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BA601CC57-3272-4E43-B411-F5A01AFB539C%7D

So, now the rest of us in the world have a model to follow. There is no reason why this same thing cannot be done in the US, or New Zealand, or anywhere else. If you would like to know more, go to http://www.naturalstep.org/




2. The Nonviolent Peace Force Continues to Grow
The Nonviolent Peace Force was begun in 1999 to provide an unarmed protective force of trained civilians from around the world. The idea was Mahatma Gandhi's, and it is now coming into being. The Nonviolent Peace force has deployed trained unarmed peacekeepers (upon invitation of host countries) to Sri Lanka, Mindanao Philippines, and Guatamala. These unarmed civilians are keeping people safe in these countries, and working to resolve conflict at the local level, so it does not escalate further. If someone is willing to risk his or her life for peace and justice, this is the way I would recommend they do it. You see, the mere sight of a weapon triggers fear and defense reactions in people. And anger. And violence. And so it escalates. It requires far more bravery to stand up to an armed mob of people with only words to defend yourself, as these peacekeepers do regularly. http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/

A basic fact that characterizes nonviolence is that it does not seek to defeat or humiliate ones opponents, but to win their friendship and understanding... It avoids not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. Nonviolent resisters not only refuse to shoot their opponent, but also refuse to hate them. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Stride Toward Freedom

There are many examples of the success of nonviolent resistance throughout history: http://www.lutheranpeace.org//, go to the Wall of Hope. There are many examples here I wasn't aware of.

Nonviolence works. It is more effective every time. Mel Duncan, Executive Director, Nonviolent Peace Force

I just had to get a photo of me with Mel.I so love what he is doing!

3. On Torture, Doug Johnson, Director of Center for the Victims of Torture
Because of our government's willingness to use torture, the US has lost its moral prestige and moral power around the world. Our torture has made the US every bit as bad as the terrorists say we are, which then creates support for more terrorists among former moderates. Because of our willingness to torture people, our government has given strength to terrorists in other ways. Terrorists are now willing to fight to the death rather than surrender, knowing they will be tortured if they are captured. Torture is not used to get information. It is used to shape a culture of fear.
Please join me in signing the online petition against torture: http://www.campaigntobantorture.org/
See also http://www.cvt.org/ for the Center for the Victims of Torture

4. Alliant Techsystems
I also learned some very scary things about the large building I cycled past every day in Eden Prairie, while I was volunteering for Feed My Starving Children. Alliant Techsystems is the world's number one producer of depleted uranium (DU) munitions. It has supplied the US Department of Defense with over 16 million depleted uranium shells. DU munitions contain a solid depleted uranium rod inside the shell. The DU 'penetrator' inside the shells are composed of uranium-238, a radioactive, alpha emitting metallic toxic waste left over from the uranium 'enrichment' process. Combined with titanium, the DU alloy is extremely dense, self sharpening and makes devastating armor piercing ammunition. As much as 70% of a DU penetrator can be aerosolized when it strikes a tank, forming micrometer-size uranium oxide particles that can be inhaled or ingested. DU munitions were extensively used in both gulf wars and Kosovo. ATK refuses to release medical studies of Depleted Uranium production workers at its plants. Google "depleted uranium" for photos and more information.
The company has sales offices for its products in 60 different countries. Bombs, missles, and mines, anyone?
A weekly vigil outside the headquarters of the building has been held since 1996. Every Wednesday at 7am, if you would care to join. 7480 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie. Directions, maps and more info at http://www.alliantaction.org/

"To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it". Martin Luther King, Jr., in Where Do We Go From Here?

and "Unbridled militarism is like a big wrecking ball and we don't know how to turn it." Kathy Kelly, one of the speakers, who walked from Chicago to St. Paul along with 5 other peace activists. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Kelly


5. The Oil Companies
I have been wondering why the oil companies continue to post such huge profits, and what they are doing with all that money. And why it was so important to get our hands on Iraqi oil. I have also been wondering why it is so difficult to buy a car with decent gas mileage, other than the Toyota Prius, and now I see a bit more about how this all is working. Thanks to Antonia Juhasz, who has been studying the issue for many years, and has written several books about it.

President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and the Secretary of State are all former oil executives. They brought with them an additional 30 oil executives and placed them in the current government's administration. The oil companies profits are being used to buy government officials. Only part of the money goes for campaign contributions. Much of it goes to pay to have oil company executives placed for a year or two on special government appointments, where they can impact policy, and then return to their oil companies.

Remember the antitrust laws to prevent huge business conglomerates from wielding too much power? Those laws came into place to break up Standard Oil, because it was beginning to run our government. Well, those laws have been rolled back, and the oil companies have re-merged, and we have allowed it to happen.

The oil companies have conventional oil reserves and unconventional oil reserves (oil sand, Midwest tar shale, etc). They own only another 5 years worth of conventional oil reserves. 50% of all the world's remaining conventional oil reserves are in 3 countries: Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The reason we so desperately needed Iraq to form a democracy is so we can convince them to pass a law to allow the US oil companies to manage their oil for them!! This is the prize our government is going for: it is called a Production Sharing Agreement, a 30 year contract to the US oil companies to extract Iraq's oil "for" them. If we took their oil by force, we would eventually be found guilty in the international courts. But if we can get the Iraqis to hand it over through a law passed by a democratic government, it would be legal. And now you, and I, know the "rest of the story". http://www.tyrannyofoil.org/

What we can do? Everything in our power to stop using oil, if we want to get our country back! The US democracy cannot function with the weight of the oil companies hanging over us. This has made my choice of transportation by bicycle even more valuable. I am not only helping the environment, saving money, and getting exercise and fresh air, I am also directly helping to end the Iraq war, and future wars in Iran and elsewhere.

So what else can I do? I will be researching how to get myself to India by crewing on a sailboat, rather than flying. And what will you do?


Here's an idea: Imagine the implications of a bumper sticker like this: "Driving alone? Call 1-800-CARPOOL"

6. The Food Crisis/Sustainable Food Systems
Jim Harkness, from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, http://www.iatp.org/
We've been asking the wrong question about our food supply. The question should not be "How can we produce more?". It should be "Who controls our food?". Local food security, having enough locally produced food in reserve for emergencies and environmental disasters, has been lost through the industrialization of agriculture. In the past 40 years, everyone has been focusing on doing what they do best: Corn and soybeans in the Midwest, Dairy and sheep in New Zealand. This has resulted in a concentration of power in the hands of a few organisations, such as Fonterra in New Zealand, Cargill in the US. The supply chains have become longer and longer. The costs of inputs (artificial fertilizer, tractors, irrigation equipment, feed for animals), increase much faster than prices paid to the farmers for their products. Jim believes "We have turned our food systems into a house of cards, and then we've turned on the fan." The countries who have suffered the most from the current food crisis are the ones who followed the advice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) , the World Bank, and the US Department of Agriculture. China has fared better. They treat food security as more important than food exports. In China, 20-50% of the annual grain harvest is kept in reserve. And no arable land is used for bio fuels.
The solution? Local sustainable food movements. But we can't feed everyone this way, you think? Perhaps we can.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Source: University of Michigan

Organic farming can feed the world, University of Michigan study shows

Organic farming can yield up to three times as much food on individual farms in developing countries, as low-intensive methods on the same land—according to new findings which refute the long-standing claim that organic farming methods cannot produce enough food to feed the global population.

Researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) found that in developed countries, yields were almost equal on organic and conventional farms. In developing countries, food production could double or triple using organic methods, said Ivette Perfecto, professor at U-M's School of Natural Resources and Environment, and one the study's principal investigators. Catherine Badgley, research scientist in the Museum of Paleontology, is a co-author of the paper along with several current and former graduate and undergraduate students from U-M.

"My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the coffin of the idea that you can’t produce enough food through organic agriculture," Perfecto said.

Here is the citation to the article: Catherine Badgley and Ivette Perfecto (2007). Can organic agriculture feed the world?. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 22 , pp 80-86
doi:10.1017/S1742170507001986



My Conclusion:

Real change has to come from below, from individuals. From independent, grassroots movements. We cannot cross our fingers and hope that the next president will rescue us. He will not. We need to rescue ourselves.

More Links
http://www.doitgreen.org/
For Minnesotans, but useful for all
http://www.oilchangeusa.org/
http://www.peace.net.nz/