This recent article in the New York Times Magazine by Michael Pollan touches on the issues I’ve been thinking about in these last two environmentally themed posts.  He examines the utility of changing lightbulbs to fight climate change in the face of carbon-hungry developing economies.  While he then goes on to agree with Mr. Gore’s further insistence to change laws as well as lightbulbs, the interesting part is that Pollan suggests that the lifestyle changes are a critical part of the equation.

The Big Problem is nothing more or less than the sum total of countless little everyday choices, most of them made by us (consumer spending represents 70 percent of our economy), and most of the rest of them made in the name of our needs and desires and preferences.

At the end, he recommends that we plant gardens. It something that I’ve been considering doing here at home where the space is available and the conditions are right.  It makes me think of my friends in Portland who have so much success with their garden - and, what’s more, with that quasi-magical process of composting.  They’ve got worms!  It also brings to mind John Adams.  The mini-series on his life just concluded on HBO and one of thee things that struck me was how much they showed him to be a farmer; working until his final days with the soil he obviously loved.  Of course, he was not alone among the Founding Fathers in that occupation.  I think it is worth a try.

(In fact, I’m jumping in my SUV and driving to Home Depot to grab some fertilizer and start reducing my carbon footprint right now!)

Is Delroy Lindo the poor man’s version of Ving Rhames? Or vice versa?

What about Kiera Knightley and Natalie Portman?

it’s more important to change the laws.” So says Al Gore in this recently posted TED talk. Here Mr. Gore gives a powerpoint (I guess I should say keynote, but, y’know) presentation (no, not that one) about the urgency of the climate crisis - and the amazing opportunity for heroism it affords our generation.

I agree with everything Mr. Gore says here; the immediacy of the threat of global climate change, our capacity to address it, and even the techniques to do so. I saw him speak in after a showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” in DC and even there he had a clear statement about the failure of democracy to act in the face of this calamity. He pointed out some serious structural problems with the modern American system of government, specifically the overbearing influence of money. The remedy, both for our democracy and the planet, is for us all to be better, more responsible and active citizens. I think I’ll start by getting involved with the work of the Alliance for Climate Protection that he mentions herein. It’s not the least I could do, but it’s close enough.

Video here.

Update: The Alliance for Climate Protection’s website now redirects to “We Can Solve It,” a campaign with the ultimate aim to halt global warming.

These TED talks are really outstanding. With their breadth of fascinating topics one runs into a situation like the wikipedia problem. That said, check out the related video of Majora Carter, an MacArthur-winning activist for environmental justice in the South Bronx.

Last Wednesday I went to get a TB test. As I was chatting with the doctor at the clinic, it came out that she was from Asunción, Paraguay. I was surprised and said, “Una paraguaya!” She started to explain where Paraguay was, but I interrupted to tell her that I knew, having traveled in its neighboring countries. I asked her if she thought things were getting better there. She said no, and then yes. She explained, “The kids who are growing up now have a sense of doing what’s right.”

But, I asked, wasn’t there a dictator before? By that I meant to say that the situation surely must have improved since the end of the dictatorship.

“Yes,” she said and then added, “and you know what? We miss him.”

Eyebrows through the roof, I asked her what she meant.

She said, “He was from a German background and imported certain ways of doing things from there.” Okay, like a certain clockwork efficiency? “Women only worked half a day, by law, so that they could take care of their children. They could choose a shift in the morning or the evening. Schools followed a similar schedule so the women could always take care of their children.” Oh, I see; a German sexist background.

“And we never took vacation.  There is always something to do around the house.  You spend the money on that” she continued.  Now we’re talking!  That’s a German stereotype I can get behind.
She presented both of these tidbits as if to say, “That dictator, he so crazy.  But he gets the job done.”  We’re talking about Paraguay folks; never a role model for South America.  I’m not even sure that they would’ve rated higher than Bhutan in Gross National Happiness.

She told me to google Stroessner to find out more.

I did:

From Wikipedia:  “His regime is also blamed for torture, kidnappings and corruption, of which the “terror archives“, discovered in 1992 in Lambaré suburb of Asunción, gave proof; he did not dispute charges of corruption at some levels in his government.”

From the BBC: “Under his rule the country became a haven for Nazi war criminals, peaceful opposition was crushed and the indigenous population was persecuted.” (second sentence of the article, emphasis theirs)

From the Washington Post:  “Alfredo Stroessner, 93, the Paraguayan despot whose 35-year reign marked an uninterrupted period of repression in his country, which became a haven for Nazi war criminals, deposed dictators and smugglers, died Aug. 16…” (first sentence - despot!)

and some other gems from the Post: “astoundingly corrupt,” “tortured dissidents,” and “In a noxious twist on Latin hospitality, Gen. Stroessner provided refuge for French-born international heroin dealer Auguste Ricord; strongmen such as Argentina’s Juan Perón and Nicaragua’s Anastasio Somoza Debayle (later assassinated in Paraguay); and war criminals, including Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor known as the “Angel of Death” who performed genetic experiments on children.”

Rather sadly, all of these articles also point out that it wasn’t only certain sectors of Paraguayan society that grew fond of “El Excelentisimo.” (It’s my assumption here that my friendly clinic doctor comes from the upper class of Paraguay)  The U.S. government was pretty friendly with him as well, at least to begin with.  Which goes to show that if you oppress our enemies well enough, we’ll overlook your other “minor” transgressions.

Ok, this is utterly ridiculous and I apologize in advance. But, here it is:
The answer to How Many Five Year Olds Can I Take in A Fight is:25

In the interest of full disclosure, I got hypothetically ruthless on the hypothetical little bastards in question. It seemed rather frightening and I responded accordingly.