The Civil War

July 23, 2010

Recently I was drawn to reading a concise illustrated version of The Civil War. This retrospective venture was prompted by looking at several copies of Harper’s Weekly from the 1860’s. By now you are thinking, was has this got to do with the environment, or Peter’s life, or my life for that matter.

The period between 1861 and 1865 was a holocaust of staggering proportions. Approximately 3 million men and boys served both sides in roughly 2200 battles from Vermont to Arizona. When the statistics were in an astonishing realization pervaded the nation – in a Civil War no one wins. There were as many deaths in this one period in our history than all other wars combined, and this was brother against brother, American against American. Hopefully, we have learned our lesson and the vitriol and name calling so pronounced prior to armed conflict between the North and the South does not escalate today.

I am embarrassed for the infantile posturing and name calling of supposed educated adults in the media, halls of congress, and forums around our country – not only are the words ‘liar’ and ‘baby killer’ wrongly attached to two of our nations leaders, they were yelled out as if the combatants were on a playground in junior high school. Words precede deeds and that is why I am concerned.

430 soldiers died each day of the four year Civil War in our country. Angry words preceeded the bullets.

Now, we are seeing angry words directed at well meaning scientists trying to grapple with melting glaciers, warming seas, migrating sea life, disappearing species, vanishing habitats and changing climate patterns across the globe. The scurrilous attacks are offensive and indicating a larger and more serious problem. Words anticipate violence, is not an empty slogan.

Yet, few of us realize that denial of the truth about what is happening globally may lead to millions of people losing their lives; at a rate much higher than 430 a day. In the Concise Illustrated History the writer states: “The war came from the fanaticism of a group of hotheads on each side. The great mass of Americans succumbed to radicalism and therefore exhibited the traits of a blundering generation.’

My generation is now blundering along as the collapsing of creation accelerates. There are 3 groups of people in my generation. Those who feel that it is not their problem, many who deny the truth because to accept the reality would require dramatic changes that few are willing to accept, and those who see the problem and move along with personal changes. There needs to be a fourth category: Those willing to speak truth to power and express the importance of over-throw, paradigm shifting, re-thinking whole systems while sacrificing for the greater good and the future of those we have brought forth in record numbers.

Inner Environment

July 16, 2010

Balance is key. Not just being able to walk without falling over, though that becomes more of an issue the older we get, balance is the silver bullet to a healthy life. My body got all out of whack a few years ago. Trying to eat vegetarian without realizing I was a diabetic led to a reduced immune system and a likelihood that my body became susceptible to my eventual lymphatic cancer called mantle cell. However, simple research led me to realize heredity was a factor; both parents had cancer – my mom died of lymphatic cancer and my dad lived on one lung for almost 40 years because of losing it to lung cancer. But the research did not stop there. Why did I get cancer in the first place? I called the Center for Cancer and the Environment in Chicago and talked with the head of the center. We determined that my life as an athlete playing on grass fields in the 50-70’s and being around my mom with her bouffant hairstyle and the spray that kept it in place all day had their impact on me. The key ingredient was however, from my perspective, is that I lost my balance.

All work and no play – over-tired and too serious – I began to see the glass half empty rather than relying on my old positive attitude and the theology in seminary that helped guide me through life’s rigors – The theology of Hope by Jurgon Moltmann. Problem was the brain and the body was simultaneously going out of balance. And, then the old cigarette addiction from age 20-40 came into play.

If this old body had not been hit with that little carcinogenic white stick around 30 times a day for years I might have weathered the storm. I can safely say the unintended consequences of all of the above reared their ugly head. I had no idea playing football on turf, or visiting my mom while she was starching her hair, or smoking would have un-tended consequences.

In looking into the idea of a healthy body the challenges mounted. Chemicals in our food, water, and atmosphere are unavoidable. The lure of an addicting substance like tobacco was strong as I matured. In a 1919 magazine called The Veteran there is an article entitled Ask the Returned Doughboy what Tobacco did For Him.

‘Right now the war cry is ‘Anti-tobacco.’ Picture the man who recalls the day in his front line dugout when the ceaseless roar of shell fire would have driven him stark mad had it not been for the occasional drag on cigarettes he happened to have that day. Then consider these same men coming back into America to find that some of the ‘stay at homes’ those for whom he was risking his life in France-have embarked upon a senseless crusade to take away from smokers the one thing more than any other that helped make the war even a little more bearable for America’s fighting men.”

This is humorous to us today, but the article was deadly serious – pun intended. Would it not be fitting that what we produce is not going to kill us? Systemic change is required in industry so as not to put into the environment, either externally or internally gases, chemicals, and ‘crap’ that is going to destroy the very fabric of our lives. The eco systems of the planet, as well as our own eco systems are damaged daily – it is just a question of time before someone you love succumbs with the unintended consequences of putting profit before people, period!

Thus, I advocate a rethinking of all that we manufacture and phase out all that does the human and animal families harm. Period!

Can we make a Rhino?

July 9, 2010

19 years ago my invitation read: “On May 6th (1991) 1000 guests will gather to join one of the world’s special people to celebrate 30 years of discovery and revelation, and raise critically needed support for animals worldwide.”

The event, honoring anthropologist Jane Goodall was chaired by the late actor/animal activist Jack Lemmon, and the honorary chair was none other than Michael Jackson.

“All the kings horses and all the kings men” were at the Beverly Hilton that night, but even they and Jane Goodall have not been able to stop the rapid decline in species throughout Africa and the rest of the world.

Polar bears on thin ice, no longer gorillas in our midst, African elephants poached for their ivory, tigers being decimated; as we humans put another 75-80 million new folks on the planet yearly. As the human animal breeds itself towards extinction we are already assuring the homeland of many of the majestic creatures of the planet will no longer be viable to sustain a healthy population.

We hear the ridiculous cry of humans first with a right to take whatever they need for their survival; not recognizing that the gift of creation is a package plan where all is connected, related, and inter-dependent. Yet, many continue to preach and the spotted owl, snail darter, or the El Segundo butterflies be damned. For years we have been cavalier about the disappearance of the invisible workers in the soil and seas of the planet. Out of sight and out of mind works pretty well for millions of us, and microbes and phytoplankton do not rank high on our evolutionary scale; even though their disappearance will not be beneficial to the human family. Thankfully, most of us feel compassion for the plight of the black rhino, or the Sumatran tiger, or the blue whale and want to do something about their plight. We have feelings of empathy for the panda’s, orcas, koala’s to name a few of the cuddly among us, but someone we are becoming increasingly detached from the plight of animals that Jane and her colleagues have spoken about for decades.

Persons of scientific substance with a long history of commitment to the creatures of the planet; folks with etymology, or biology, or zoology as part of their life work has demonstrated how fragile the world of animals on the planet really is.

Happy Birthday America

July 2, 2010

Independence Day – a day marked by Nathan’s Hog Dog eating contest on Coney Island New York, parades and pageants, fireworks and fire crackers, and lots and lots of flags waved, displayed and saluted.

What it means, and how it is celebrated is different for everyone. If we have lost a member of our family to the ravages of war we may view the day with an inner quiet reflecting upon service to country. Perhaps we feel that this is the one day of the year we can show off our red, white, and blue decorations and no one will complain that it is not or is politically correct. Love of country is expressed in a variety of ways, as is how we choose to honor the 4th of July.

The day reminds me of the requirements asked of immigrants to the country and the quiz that they must take prior to becoming citizens. I wonder if I could pass the test? I also reflect on the hometown parade, which this year experienced controversy over the idea of parading an elephant down the streets and through the neighborhoods. Many rose up in favor of the elephant and the invitation was withdrawn in the ninth hour. I was proud of my fellow citizens who learned a little bit about the treatment of elephants and saw the wisdom in not having ‘Kitty” lead the parade. Parades are important, fun, and teachable moments to our youth. When the child waves the flag or views the color guard, or listens to the marching band from the local high school, a signal is offered, a reminder is presented, and it is the parent’s responsibility to share what this day is all about. Waving the flag is not patriotic, in and of itself. So what is patriotism and what is flag waving?

The answer should come from within each one of us. How we serve our country and why we wave the flag should be a part of every Independence Day reflection time. Enjoy the day, and remember Joey Chestnut ate something like 68 hot dogs last year in 10 minutes at the world championships. My record is 4 veggie hot dogs at one sitting.

We Must Protect Our Heritage

June 25, 2010

Never in the history of our country have our natural resources meant so much as they do right now. Our forests, our waters, our soil, our minerals, and our wildlife are serving a purpose so great that it makes all the years and millions spent conserving them seem infinitesimal.

Without them our economic, social, and recreational structure would soon collapse. They have meant much to us in times of peace. They will mean more during war.

We should be thankful not only that we are endowed with these priceless heritages of abundance, but that we have been able through proper management and wise use to protect and preserve them.

Let us never forget that they are treasures which cannot be measured in dollars and cents; that some of them once destroyed cannot be replaced. Protect them! Protect forests from fire, streams from pollution, soil from erosion, and wildlife from its natural enemies and starvation.

Protect and enjoy them. It is through their enjoyment that we have become a healthy outdoor-loving people—a spiritually, morally and physically strong people—a people who will sacrifice everything, even life itself, to preserve the country and the freedom which has given us so many treasured gifts.”

- Editorial from Pennsylvania Game News March 1942.

Words of wisdom from the past too often forgotten should never be part of our accepted practice. Some look to ancient scripture to inform behavior today. Many look to the writer’s who lived in times of crisis to pinpoint necessary behavior so essential for our well being as a people. Thanks Mr. Ross L. Leffler for standing up for those who did not have a voice very often.

The Gulf oil spill is speaking to us and the words of 1942 are too late. Now what? May we resolve to shift the paradigm over-night beginning with each of us in power, each with a platform, and each with a commitment to the larger good. The oil has been released; the genii is out of the bottle; it can not be put back in? Our only salvation is large scale cooperative efforts for the good of the whole. And that means – the balance of sound economics with sound ecology and our present system is not working within that framework so it must change; immediately!

Too Stupid To Notice

June 18, 2010

When you hit 90 you are entitled to be listened to carefully. Scientist James Lovelock has been a voice articulating a vision of a united self regulating organism called earth for much of his adult life. Now, at that magical number 90, he believes the human family is too stupid to save itself. I agree, and I am only 67 and 11/12th s –

There is nothing that describes us any better. We have the data. We see what is happening before our eyes. And…we continue as if nothing is the matter and all will be fine if we trust in either God or technology to save us; or both. I trust neither to save us. I trust the human who has been given a free will and a brain to use both in the time of crisis; yet we seem to use neither.

Back to the creator of the Gaia hypothesis; Sir. James Lovelock. My mentor Dr. John Seeley died at 95 – a wise and benevolent man he and I would often discuss ‘the end times’ and how that all might come about. On occasion we would introduce the possibility of nuclear holocaust and felt in the end that was unlikely. Ultimately we felt that the environments neglect would be impossible to rectify and like Lovelock felt that the unraveling of creations web of interaction and inter connectedness would make it harder and harder for the 7 billion of us to survive. We wrestled with the class 4 viruses that are carried about by the air we breathe and felt they might take a hold someplace and eradicate millions over-night, but that the earth could tolerate massive epidemics. On the other hand, sea level rise, if a catastrophic collapse of ice shelves worldwide were to occur and the sea would rise perceptively ‘over-night’ we would not be able to cope, even in the developed countries like ours. Lovelock advises building barriers already!

The realization of the macrocosm of the human family becoming increasingly stupid about what is happening is sadly reflected in many with whom I am in contact who deny the reality of the global change taking place. All I can say is that my well educated friends, all of who will continue to be my friends unless they choose to distance themselves further from me, and I am already seeing the big P in the hands of many; P for pariah!, are stupidly buying into the rhetoric that all is OK and all we have to do is keep the economic engine running and that technology will fix it all.

As a sailor I check the barometer before setting out in my 8 ft Dyer Dinghy sailing pram. The precautionary principle is second nature to anyone who hikes, sails, flies a plane, white water kayaks, hang glides, or goes outdoors when rain is forecast. In other words, we already have built into our DNA the willingness to plan and prepare so as not to be blindsided by a line squall, or running out of gas, or facing a freak snowstorm in July or rain in March in California.

Why are we so darn stupid about the big picture? The OIL SPILL may well indeed signal the end of civilization as we know it. I had no idea when I committed to writing a blog for 156 weeks that the day in December in 2012 looms as the day of prediction about the future! Please help me understand why our hubris prevents us from seeing the future.

I Love Our Flag

June 11, 2010


HARD TO WRITE ABOUT OTHER ISSUES, BUT I MUST, IN SPITE OF MY FEELINGS ABOUT THE DISASTER IN THE GULF WHICH BEGAN THE DAY OF MY 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY; APRIL 20, 2010 – A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY, BEYOND THAT OF SOMEONE WANTING TO MARRY ME!

Flag Day – the day in 1777 that our first flag was authorized as authentically American. A day set aside to reflect upon our most iconic and ubiquitous symbol. Flown daily in front of all government installations, on the campuses of most schools, and in the front yards of homes across America, the ‘Stars and Stripes’ should be understood and its story told.

Like the Liberty Bell, the Star Spangled Banner as anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance, the history of the flag has been a story of process, change, and evolution. With its varying iterations through the years, the essential characteristics of the blue canton and the stars, combined with the 13 stripes has been the defining colors of The United States Flag. With the addition of new states, the last two being Hawaii and Alaska in 1959, our flag has gone from 13 stars, to 15, to 35, then 48 and finally 50. Along the way the dimensions were established so the proportion of length to width was consistent. In addition, the once grand flag of the battle of Ft. McHenry, the original Star Spangled Banner (with the addition of Old Glory we now have referenced the flag with its 4 most commonly used names), which has been restored is of 15 stripes. This did not work so the original 13 colonies or states became the representative number of 7 red and 6 white or 13 stripes.

I love our flag. Have flown it my whole life as I was taught by my maternal grandfather during the Second World War to raise and fold and present the flag properly at an early age. Now it is my turn to teach the grand kids and flag etiquette is part of passing on a tradition that became incorporated into my life through experience. I do not worship or wrap myself in the flag however. What I worship are the values the flag stands for. I will fight for freedom, liberty, justice – the desecration of these is much more important to me than the desecration of the flag itself; much more!