HERD ABOUT IT!

by Ana Grarian

I made a resolution yesterday to write with a more positive attitude. I’m such a downer all the time, complaining about pesticides in our water and food, mountain top removal coal mining, the desecration of boreal forests for tar sands removal, the effects of industrial livestock operations on small farms and communities. I could go on and on. And I have.
So I was going to forego the doom and gloom and change my writing to reflect the great people who are doing it right. People like my friend Beth, who works with an Urban Gardening Coalition in TX, teaching gardening, canning, cooking, crafting, and doing farmer’s markets. Or my friend Talitha who preaches on the care of creation and works with young people in Uganda. Or Ryan who works at the Alternatives Library at Cornell, is a singer songwriter, active in the Shaleshock movement against toxic high volume slick water hydrofracking, and an avid gardener and community supporter. Or Bob who came up with the idea to save a local bookstore and works tirelessly to make it happen, and supports many other local businesses in ways that builds community.

I was inspired by a messge I heard at church. A layperson gave the message this Sunday. Eric spoke of “The Spirit Un-stopped” and asked the question “How am I living the spirit?” It was such an upbeat message and demonstrated how much of an impact we can make by small acts of kindness.

Then I got home and opened up Facebook. I have FB Friends who follow all kinds of issues that I don’t have the time to keep up with. Like the ongoing problems at Fukushima, how the radiation from Fukushima is contaminating the US, things we didn’t know about Chernobyl and the problems with our own nuclear program including inadequate nuclear waste disposal practices, and poor maintenance and repair procedures of which, most folks in the US are completely unaware.

Then a “pretty” picture of the world from space at night, with the US and Europe lit up like Clark Griswald’s (Chevy Chase) house at Christmas. Geez people – TURN OFF THE LIGHTS! What an incredible waste of energy. Just how much environmental destruction do we have to have so commerce can go on 24/7 and because we’ve become afraid of the dark? It’s obscene. We’re supposed to “Brighten the Corner Where We Are” – but they didn’t mean this way!

Ahh – ddeep breath – perhaps instead I should be focusing on the technological progress we’ve made in lighting fixtures. No. Because that just lends the excuse to light things up even more. Have you come across this on the highway? You’re driving along a secluded stretch of interstate with mountains on each side, covered with forest, and as you go around the bend, you are suddenly confronted with what appears to be the sight of an alien invasion on the hillside. Nope. It’s just a service station. That some how they figured you would miss if it was lighted normally.

I’m getting all worked up again. I guess I’d better go do something soothing: like the laundry. In cold water, with vinegar and biodegradable soap (Beth has recipes for that). I should hang it out to dry too. Then a turn through the garden for some weeding, and a home-cooked dinner, with lots of fresh veggies. Maybe I’ll read Talitha’s blog, while listening to some of Ryan’s music.

Step away from the computer…..you’ll just be tempted to read bad news.