Kelvin's Eco-Blog

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

2010-03-16T20:35:00.004-05:00

I keep running into articles that encourage simple living. I guess the repeated message means this is very important, for I remember that when mom told me to do something a certain number of times, I had better get moving. The article I just read, "The Ten Most Important Things to Simplify in Your Life," certainly summarizes the message I have received so redundantly. I am not sure I want to cut back on screen time, though. Soon I'll be out in the garden more and I will not have time to keep up with my blogs and read what others are thinking. One area of success is within our grasp: " if debt is holding you captive, reduce it." Baring the typical unforeseen crisis, we will have out debts relinquished before summer. I'm not sure if life will be that much simpler, but certainly easier in the financial realm.

Waste Not, Want Not, or something like that

2010-03-16T20:02:00.004-05:00

I enjoy finding ways to recycle materials in fun and practical ways. The recent construction of additions to the church building next door has made available some interesting scrapped materials. I took some of the insulated Styrofoam building materials and made a cold frame by placing the old skylight from the torn down addition on top as a lid (see the accompanying picture of lettuce that will soon be harvested). The rest of the Styrofoam building material will become a temporary home for hardening off plants that I am growing indoors under lights. But, today those scraps became the building materials for a makeshift stable for my two little ponies (see grandchildren picture). What fun and how practical!

ravens

2010-03-13T20:31:00.001-06:00

ravens
Originally uploaded by KelvinfromKS

The ravens in this photo are the sentinels of the rocks. They miss nothing.

Back in Step

2010-02-22T21:39:00.002-06:00

I have felt out of step with American religion, because my interest has been on environmentalism and earth care. Recently, I have discovered a swell of environmental consciousness among Christian leaders. I just read that "Religious activism on behalf of the environment is now common—in some cases, to the point of becoming widespread, organized, and institutionalized." (Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews, from Worldwatch.org). Among United Methodists there is resurgence of interest in earth care. We used to call it stewardship, but the term connotes raising money. So now, we focus on caring for this planet and even loving the world in which we live. Our leaders, specifically, the Council of Bishops, have released a pastoral letter to the churches and a foundation document called, "God's Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action." I am currently leading a study in my church on these documents. Members of the first study session revealed to me just how deep this ecological concern runs. Two farmer/ranchers told me that care for the land is an intelligent stance to take for both successful business and a meaningful life.

Healthy Gardening

2010-02-18T17:14:00.004-06:00

We have begun the process of creating a community garden on church property. The legal advice we received suggested that we name it a park. We have discussed making raised-bed gardens that are accessible for wheel chair bound residents of the local long-term care unit. People are volunteering everything from equipment and landscape timbers to vegetable seeds. One of the greatest prospects of this project is the possibility of providing more locally-grown produce for families in this rural community in southwest Kansas. Though we are surrounded by agricultural land, most of our produce comes from great distances. More people place value on producing some of our food near home. The following recommendations reflect this value:

Ways to Encourage Local Food Production

Promote the idea of Victory Gardens (both private and community-based) and food co-ops.
Provide training courses in gardening and permaculture through local community colleges and agricultural extension offices.
Remove unnecessary restrictions on people growing their own food (maintaining needed restrictions only to promote health & safety and prevent animal cruelty).
Remove unnecessary restrictions on local farmers selling their crops to local markets (often put in place due to lobbying by big agri-business).
Encourage the formation of farmers markets.
Local relief organizations could provide vouchers or special debit cards for use at local farmers markets as part of their assistance programs.
Tree-planting programs and local Arbor Day celebrations could include fruit and nut trees.
Support programs to capture organic waste (food scraps, animal & human manure, leaves & other yard waste, agricultural waste) for composting to improve soils.
Another great post for churches considering placing a garden on church grounds can be found at http://flourishonline.org/2010/02/extending-the-front-porch-is-your-church-ready-for-a-garden-2/.

Fat Tuesday Run-for-Fun

2010-02-16T14:53:00.005-06:00

I enjoyed the annual Pancake Day Race at Liberal today. The woman who won ran a good race. Yet, I was most impressed with four young women who did not win special accolades. Instead, they ran for the fun of running and participating. The excitement and joy on their faces and their clownish attire made this event for me. Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent in the Christian year. Lent is a traditional time to fast from certain foods, thus Fat Tuesday was the last opportunity to eat really well before the fasting began. Actually, the word Lent comes from lengthen, a reference to the lengthening number of sunlight hours as spring arrives. Christians likely borrowed seasonal celebrations from other cultures in order to emphasize Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection of the Son [of God] mirrors the strengthening of the sun. Such nature-centered roots for our Christian heritage helps establish the Christian faith in the midst of the seasons of the earth. I am excited to see the promise of spring in the lengthening days and the hope of resurrection in Christ. To run with joy is certainly a great way to get ready for Lent.

Complexity and Simplicity are Not Opposites

2010-02-15T21:17:00.003-06:00

I love to examine ice crystals on a window or the intricate structures of ice crystals under the thin film of ice at the curb when the water dropped slowly underneath. I am also enthralled with the patterns of ice crystals called "hoarfrost" on the bare branches of trees. These designs are complex and simple at the same time. This seeming contradiction is the reason for the beauty of ice crystals or tree branches covered with frost. In systems thinking a "system" is a dynamic and complex whole, interacting as a structured functional unit. We are all parts of many systems, interacting and interrelating simply and profoundly. We all need each other and truly no one is an island, isolated and independent. Our largest contradictions in life are the result of our attempts to break away from the systems that sustain us. On the other hand, the greatest fulfillments of our lives are the results of acknowledging our place in the cosmos and the beauty of our multitude of complex relationships.

Revival of the Front Porch

2010-02-10T09:19:00.005-06:00

I frequently blog about the need to reconnect people with nature. Perhaps it is also time to emphasize reconnecting people with people. In the home I grew up in the front porch was an important place. The front porch was the place you could say "hello" to a neighbor across the street or even someone you knew driving past. Mom always had plants sitting on the porch or hanging from the ceiling, and chairs or a bench were available for friends to sit a'spell. The front porch was an inviting place to engage in conversation and strengthen relationships. "The porch is a physical space that is both personal to its owner and hospitable to guests and strangers. It is a threshold of community: neither a place of anonymity, nor of complete intimacy. It is a place where new connections are wrought and old connections are strengthened. One can be invited onto a front porch even as a passerby; it provides opportunities for welcoming the stranger." (Front Porch Revival: The Past, Present, and Possibility of a Neighborhood Mainstay, by Kendra Langdon Juskus)

The front porch can be a great analogy of a flourishing life for all God's creatures: open, green and inviting.

Childhood Obesity Gaining Too Much Weight

2010-02-09T19:46:00.004-06:00

Michelle Obama addressed the Conference of Mayors on Jan. 20, 2010 with her concerns about the tremendous increase of childhood obesity in America. She said, “Right now, nearly one third of children in America are overweight or obese – one in three. And one third of all children today will eventually suffer from diabetes – in the African American and Latino communities, it goes up to almost half.” (Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama Conference of Mayors, Washington, DC, January 20, 2010)

First Lady Michelle noted the changes in our society that have made our neighborhoods less safe, thus not conducive for unrestricted outdoor play for children. She noted that the days are past when “you could send kids out to play and tell them not to come back until dinner.” Now, because of safety concerns, many children spend their afternoons viewing television or playing video games. Michelle’s goal is to establish a nationwide program that changes children’s behavior in regards to diet and exercise. She hopes her own children and children everywhere will “be able to engage in life with the energy, endurance, and focus they need to meet the challenges they’ll face along the way.”

In response to the First Lady’s initiative, the Children and Nature Network (C&NN) asked that her initiative include an “outdoor in nature” component. C&NN wrote, “We urge you to promote and support a deep connection between children and the great outdoors by considering the addition of an “outdoors in nature” component.” The purpose of C&NN is to reconnect children with nature by networking people and organizations who share their concern for the wellbeing of children and the natural environment. Some of the many opportunities for initiating this cultural swing for the health of our children include:

o On February 17-19th, YMCA of the USA is training state and local leaders on how to influence the built environment to make outdoor opportunities for physical activity an easy choice through their Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative

o On April 3rd, as part of the Children & Nature Network’s (C&NN) Children and Nature Awareness Month, C&NN will be hosting a national Natural Leaders Day, calling on youth across the country to get outdoors in nature

o On April 18th, the YMCA will celebrate Healthy Kids Day, the nation’s largest health day for children and families, celebrated at Y’s across the country

o On June 5th, the American Hiking Society will promote National Trails Day, encouraging organizations across the country to host events

o On June 19-20th, the Outdoor Foundation along with government and nongovernmental partners will bring thousands of youth to Central Park in New York City to shape the national agenda around youth, the outdoors and active living

o On June 26th, the National Wildlife Federation will host its annual Great American Backyard Campout

Global Ecological Awareness and Concern

2010-01-28T21:11:00.004-06:00

Last night President Obama called for a comprehensive energy and climate bill in his State of the Union address. Such a bill will pass if we grow in awareness of the ecological crises of our times. The following questions help us focus:

1.What is your sense of public attitudes toward the health of the planet? Do you share the view that citizens worldwide are aware that the planet is in poor health and have great concern for its future well-being?

2.What changes are occurring in your own life or community that suggest that ecological concerns

are being given a higher priority?

3.What influences your day-to-day decisions about how you live in relation to the environment?

4. How are your ecological values reflected in your day-to-day, moment-to-moment existence?

Source of questions: GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS CHANGE: INDICATORS OF AN EMERGING PARADIGM, p. 28

Someday I May Retire the Lawnmower

2010-01-24T21:43:00.004-06:00

Why would I write about mowing the lawn in mid-winter? The simplest answer is I do not enjoy mowing the lawn and dread the thought of getting the mower ready in a few months. The more complex answer is I do not like the typical lawn. Lawns full of plush, green grass have a great appeal, but they seem so unnatural to me. Seldom do I see a large area of one type of plant growing naturally. Nature breaks up patterns and provides a variety of species growing together. Also, the typical lawn is a water hog when it is full of grasses that are thick and tall. In my semi-arid region of Kansas, plants space themselves apart because of the scarcity of water and they grow close to the ground.

More people are xeriscaping their lawns. Xeriscaped lawns are full of native plants that survive in arid environments. Such grasses and forbs thrive in their environment because they need less water and fertilizer than typical lawn grasses. They also do not require weekly mowing. Recent studies give me another reason lean toward xeriscaping and to dislike the typical lawn for "greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer production, mowing, leaf blowing and other lawn management practices are four times greater than the amount of carbon stored by ornamental grass in parks." Perhaps one day I will be able to retire the lawnmower and enjoy the natural diversity of plants in my lawn.

Celebrate Biodiversity

2010-01-13T21:36:00.003-06:00

Just read that "The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity." In the Haskell County, Kansas I have identified over 80 species of birds that live here or visit during migrations. I had no idea the biodiversity was as great as it is until I started to observe and keep track of the various species. Perhaps the best way to celebrate biodiversity in 2010 is to become more aware of the life around us. Get out your binoculars, take a walk in the countryside or a drive around the county. Learn the names of local plants, insects and animals. Rejoice in the variety around us.ue of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity

Begin with Reverence

2010-01-07T21:49:00.004-06:00

This week the icy cathedral pillars of barren trees raised shimmering arms to the blue beyond. A heavy frost created a surreal world in the park across from the church I serve as pastor. I went to my home next door in between Sunday School and worship in order to get my camera and take photos while the sun broke through the clouds. The beauty of the natural world outside kept calling me and I made frequent glances outside to see the changing scene as brilliant light shone upon the frosted trees. I was filled with awe. This reminds me of a quote by Joseph Cornell:

If we want to develop an attitude of reverence for life, we need to begin with awareness, which in turn can lead to loving empathy. As we begin to feel our comon bond of life with living things around us, our actions become more harmonious in an unforced, natural way, and we become concerned for the needs and wellbeing of all creatures. p. 14

(Cornell, Joseph. Sharing the Joy of Nature: Nature Activities for All Ages. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. 1989.)

What better way is there to start the year 2010 than by revering God's creation.

Sigh of Relief from Copenhagen?

2009-12-26T08:46:00.004-06:00

What did the heads of state, heads of government, ministers, and other heads of national delegations agree upon at the Copenhagen Accord? The news pundits report disappointment with the Copenhagen Accord, but when I read it, I see a hopeful turning toward the reduction of greenhouse gas concentration in our atmosphere. The representatives present at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen, agreed to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” They acknowledged that the increase in global temperature because of accumulation of gases should be below 2 degrees Celsius. The delegations also agreed to “enhance our long-term cooperative action to combat climate change.” I realize that the delegates now face the challenge of going home to communicate these goals to their nations’ leaders. The developing nations face many obstacles because they understand industrialization to be the key to development so they can emerge as a competitive force in the world. They are very vulnerable to military coups, dictatorial leadership, and war. The Copenhagen Accord addresses this issue and proposes funding programs “aimed at reducing vulnerability and building resilience in developing countries, especially in those that are particularly vulnerable, especially least developed countries, small island developing States and Africa.” If we work together toward these goals, we will not be disappointed and the whole earth will breathe a sigh of relief.

Ban the Bulldozer and Urban Sprawl

2009-12-25T12:27:00.002-06:00

I remember how angered I was at age twelve when contractors bulldozed my favorite pastures and woods and filled in the ponds, preparing the land for a large housing development. I personally experienced how urban sprawl resulted in loss of habitat for many animals and I have noted particularly the decrease in reptile and amphibian populations around my childhood home in Topeka. Aldo Leopold raised national awareness of the abusive patterns of land use in his famous book, A Sand County Almanac (1949). He observed that land abuse and the subsequent destruction of natural environs for all forms of life is the result of humans understanding land as a commodity. His famous quote reveals the need for an ecological worldview: “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”[1]

[1] Rome catalogues the numerous times government documents on land use policy quote Leopold. Note 41, Adam Rome, The Bulldozer in the Countryside: Suburban Sprawl and the Rise of American Environmentalism (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 241-242.

Where the Deer and Antelope Roam

2009-12-03T20:09:00.005-06:00

Our Kansas State song cites this line, but I have seen few antelope in north-central Kansas where those lines were pinned. Instead, I find pronghorn antelope in far western counties of Kansas where there is a greater expanse of land for them to roam. Antelope, prairie chickens, black-footed ferrets and other prairie wildlife have been pushed out of their original ranges as human civilization with its agricultural practices claim the prairie. I am concerned that discontinuance of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will soon force more native wildlife from our prairies. The CRP program paid farmers to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. CRP land proved to be a great environment for many prairie plants and animals. Now that the program is being discontinued, land-owners will be tempted to get a return on the previous CRP land by cultivating it. Once again the native creatures will have to struggle for a place to live and room to move.

650 Feet Down Under

2009-11-12T19:48:00.005-06:00

I visited the Hutchinson Salt Museum today and rode an elevator down 650 feet. During the tour I read about the bacteria that had been discovered trapped in water inside salt crystals. The bacteria were dormant, but when released from their trap, then they began to multiply. They were still alive after an estimated 250 million years. Some modern bacteria share genetic material with this ancient bacteria, thus indicating the salt crystal bacteria are ancestors. The remarkable thing about this discovery, that was publicized back in 1999, is that simple lifeforms are so very resilient. Though numerous species of larger lifeforms have gone extinct, some of the simplest remain intact. What a remarkable gift is life!

Don't Waste the Waste

2009-11-09T03:50:00.004-06:00

It's Fall and the leaves do fall. Even in Southwest Kansas, where trees are sparse, there is plenty of yard waste that makes its way into the landfill via dumpsters. Our nicely manicured lawns are deprived of their natural covering of decaying grass and leaves during this season. The problem is we do not recognize the value of composted organic material. I used to accept bags of leaves and grass from neighbors so I could create a huge pile of composting material. Some of my neighbors didn't appreciate my enthusiasm for composting nor did they like the ammonia odor from overly nitrogen-rich piles of debris that were too moist. In order to compost well, the compost pile must have the correct mix of ingredients, the right moisture levels, and be turned regularly. If this sounds like a lot of work to you, you are correct. That is the reason I do not compost on the larger scale anymore. Now, I take kitchen scraps and add them to some garden waste and soil and place it all in my compost bin. I seldom give the bin much attention. But, in the Spring, I take out the lower levels of compost from the bin and use it to augment the soil around garden transplants. My garden plants do well.

But what about the yard waste--leaves, etc. One possibility is to just leave the leaves where they lay or to use a mulching blade on your mower and chop them up. The idea is to allow the natural layer of organic material to protect the lawn from the ravages of winter and to naturally decay. Such material has been shown to improve the soil in lawns. During the cooler months earthworms eat the decaying leaves and turn them into soil. Another idea is to bag up the leaves, seal the bags and place them in a hidden area in your yard. The material in the bags will begin to break down naturally. Wait for several months and then open the bags in order to use the partially composted organic material as mulch around yard shrubs and in flower beds. For additional ideas for using fallen leaves and yard waste, go to:

Composting and Mulching: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes

Sustainable Lifestyle

2009-11-02T21:15:00.003-06:00

A sustainable lifestyle is "a journey towards reestablishing a deeper connection with Creation, with our neighbor, and with God," writes Drew Sutton. This definition is broad enough to embrace many positions on what it means to live a sustainable lifestyle. Drew also calls attention to the spiritual dimension of an ecological-balanced life. My doctoral research focused on ecotherapy as presented by the late Howard Clinebell. Clinebell based ecotherapy on the concept of an ecological circle through a dynamic interchange of three things: 1) becoming more fully, intentionally, and regularly nurtured by nature (inreach), 2) becoming more aware of the larger meanings of one's place in nature and the universe (upreach), and, 3) personal involvement in earth-caring, such as some form of environmental activism (outreach). The ecological circle is another way of speaking about a sustainable life in the process of being built upon healthy relationships with nature, one another and God.

Hanging by a Shoestring

2009-10-31T18:45:00.003-05:00

I received a gift in the mail today. My brother in North Carolina sent me some homemade Prickly Pear Jelly, a book on CD about food preservation, and some seeds. Christmas comes early sometimes. I was pleased to find heirloom tomato seeds in the box. These seeds are passed on from gardener to gardener. Rarely will these seeds be available from a commercial grower. Actually, if gardeners didn't pass them along, the genetic variety would be lost. We have lost many plant varieties because no one passed the seeds on. United Plant Savers make it their mission to keep medicinal plants alive:

United Plant Savers' mission is to protect native medicinal plants of the United States and Canada and their native habitat while ensuring an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for generations to come.

I believe I will join in their mission and plant medicinal plants in the garden. I would do this on a greater scale, if I owned my property. Until then, I will devote a few square feet of garden to preventing some native medicinal plants from being eliminated through neglect and destruction of habitat. There are too many plants and animals hanging tenuously by the shoestrings.

Ad Astra per Aspera

2009-10-30T09:59:00.003-05:00

"To the stars through difficulty" is our Kansas State motto. Certainly, the expansive prairies were difficult to traverse. In many early accounts of homesteading the greatest difficulty was finding good water to drink and food that was not spoiled. Without refrigeration or even a ground water cooled cave, food spoiled quickly and people got sick eating it. Stagnant pools of water were too alluring for for thirsty people who had been whipped by dry winds all day. They drank this water without boiling it first, and some even died. Sure, the hardships of establishing a homestead and the dangers of animal and human raiders made life difficult, but the water and food issues remained at the top of the list. Today, the same two concerns face our rural Kansas communities. Haskell County and neighboring Finney County have the greatest drop of ground water levels in Kansas. In the last ten years some wells have declined 30 feet. And the water continues to be depleted. Water issues will remain on the top of our list for years to come. If the water is not available, then the current agricultural practice of using circle irrigation will discontinue. That means that crop production will plummet and and food prices will go up. Will Kansas continue the journey through difficulty and never reach the stars?

Harvest Finally Done

2009-10-24T20:38:00.004-05:00

Though the farmers in my church are still trying to finish their corn and bean harvests, I finished this year's harvest yesterday. I finished drying the sweet basil I had hanging in the garage for the last two weeks. Herbs that I have grown myself, cut, washed, dried and processed are superior in flavor and they last a long time. I dried and processed parsley also this year. The entire harvesting process is very labor intensive and requires personal contact with every branch of leaves. Thus, I have an excellent understanding of everywhere the herbs have been and a sense of the quality of the finished product. This gives me great satisfaction, especially when I gift someone with the finished product and s/he takes a whiff and says, "This smells so good." Most of my home-grown and processed herbs are fresh enough that less is required in recipes. Thus, an additional benefit is that they last for years. I've purchased parsley at a store and discovered that it smelled like hay and added little flavor to foods. Organic foods grown locally by trusted growers should be highly sought after, but all too often I have found suspicion that the product could be good quality. I have even had people suggest that commercial products are safer. I regard this thought pattern as basic ignorance and the result of our great distance from the time when people grew much of their own food. The mainstreaming of organic foods shows promising shifts in perception regarding sustainable living.

Childhood Dream Realized

2009-10-15T20:08:00.004-05:00

In grade school I read about the exploits of a paleontologist in the Gobi Desert (Mongolia) who discovered petrified dinosaur eggs and other fossils. I dreamed of the day I could make such discoveries and visit far-off lands. Last year I heard about dinosaur footprints exposed along a stretch of river in southeast Colorado. La Junta, near the tracks, is a three hour drive from Satanta, Kansas, so the plan began to form. After I worked up enough stamina for a rigorous, long hike in a rugged terrain, I would go to the Picketwire Canyon Trailhead and walk where the ancient's walked. My wife, son and good friend John planned to go with me. John had to stay home because of illness, but the three of us arrived last Tuesday on the canyon's rim in the fog. The office receptionist for the Grassland Parks discouraged us from attempting to go there, because of recent rains. We went to check out the conditions and found them to be a little damp, but easily passable. Thus, the adventure began. Along the way we observed much wildlife: desert birds, tarantulas, a large centipede, small snakes migrating uphill and more. The scenery was breathtaking and fresh as the sky cleared and sun shone brightly. Three hours of walking put us in sight of the prints. My son and I crossed the river to see more prints while my wife enjoyed those on the other side of the river. We enjoyed nature, each other and the challenge of a long hike. Part of my childhood dream has now been realized. Next Mongolia?

$10 Million for a Light Bulb

2009-10-08T07:30:00.004-05:00

The U.S. Department of Energy is offering $10 million for an energy-efficient alternative for outdated incandescent and halogen lights. According to Lauren Hasler's article, A Replacement for Incandescents?, Philips Electronics submitted the first entry. The entries must be less than 10 watts for incandescent, 11 watts for halogen and have more than a 25,000-hour lifespan. Rewarding a good prize for the a successful invention may result in great energy savings. Of course, turning off the lights when the room is not in use is the most practical way. Wish someone would reward communities for turning off the lights at night. Some lighting is needed at street corners and to deter crime, but way too often we pollute the night with light and at the same time use energy needlessly. I never seemed to convince our children while they were home to turn off the lights, TV and computer. Somehow I needed a tangible reward for green behavior. Perhaps such a tangible reward is the clear nights here in southwest Kansas when the Milky Way spreads across the sky with its millions of stars sending soft light earthward. Such a sight is worth at least $10 million, isn't it.

Sweet Potato Pie

2009-10-05T20:55:00.004-05:00

Harvested sweet potatoes from the garden today. We dug two 5 gallon buckets of orange and gold tubers. This harvest will provide us with great eating throughout the winter months. Ever eat sweet potato pie? It's even richer and tastier than pumpkin pie. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins. I'm excited about the abundant resource organically grown in my backyard.

Saving Seeds

2009-09-29T07:08:00.004-05:00

I let my lettuce go to seed and then saved them. Now I am allowing the okra pods to mature in anticipation of saving seed for next year. Americans used to save seeds all the time. Makes sense to save some seed instead of always buying them. Seeds from hybrids often will not grow the same type produce as the parent plant produced, but many do just fine. I save seeds for another reason than just saving a buck. "When we buy our seeds from the store, or from the vast majority of seed catalogs, we're buying those varieties that some corporate committee has decided are most profitable. We're funding the homogenization of our food supply." I have joined many others in the concern for diversity in vegetable and grain crops. Limiting our food to just a few genetic varieties is not a good practice. I appreciate tomato varieties that have disease resistance, grow fast and produce heavily. These are the typical varieties the seed produces sell. I also appreciate varieties that have unique colors, shapes and flavors. Such varieties can be found among heirloom seed saving banks. Heirlooms have been grown for generations, are open-pollinated [grow true to the form and type of the parent plant], and passed along by fellow gardeners. I don't want to lose the fellowship of gardeners as a source of good food, thus I save seeds for the next growing season.

National Parks Neglected

2009-09-25T07:28:00.004-05:00

Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) may be an indirect cause of Congress starving the national parks of enough money to keep roads, buildings and trails in adequate repair. According to Bruce Henderson's article in the Charlotte Observer (9-6-09), maintenance backlog in the National Parks is now $8 billion. What does NDD have to do with funding the parks? The connection lies in use of the national parks--it is going down. Americans like to be plugged in with video games, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The parks offer experiences that are non-electronic, thus the experience becomes undesirable for many. When usage goes down, then government funds are decreased, the parks are allowed to go in disrepair, and the cycle continues downward. The best solution may be to get our kids out into natural places more often so they may fall in love with it.

From Failed Farmstead to Professor

2009-09-19T20:53:00.005-05:00

Today I visited the northeast corner of a quarter section land that once belonged to a famed scientist of the last century: George Washington Carver. Carver failed at farming in Kansas near the town of Beeler, but he became an famous botanist who saved the faltering economy of the South through his research on peanuts and sweet potatoes. One biography claims the prairie habitat was too strange and harsh for a man who grew up in eastern forests, thus he moved on. The reason he tried homesteading was his rejection from a small Kansas college because of his race. Carver was African American and the son of slaves. I am amazed by this man's tenacity and undefeatable spirit. I wish Kansas had been more hospitable for him. Yet, I take pride in knowing that a humble scientist spent time on the Kansas prairie recording insights into its flora and fauna. What a nice day trip!

Flight of the Monarchs

2009-09-18T21:51:00.003-05:00

Monarch Butterfly migration is in full swing in this part of Kansas. Large orange butterflies with black-bordered wings adorn trees and flowers as they feed and rest before continuing their journey south. A great site for tracking their migration can be found at Monarch Watch: Migration and Tagging. The one insect that received special attention by my teachers in gradeschool was the Monarch. We learned about the stages from caterpillar to adult butterfly and about the remarkable migrations each year from south to north in the spring and then back again in the fall. For several years the University of Kansas has sponsored a conservation effort to prevent the loss of these beautiful creatures from our ecosphere. They warn that "Intense deforestation in Mexico could ruin one of North America's most celebrated natural wonders -- the mysterious 3,000-mile migration of the monarch butterfly." The issue is complex and even more difficult to address since the butterflies do not understand politcal boundaries and cross borders without reserve. Perhaps a concerted effort by leadership of the United States and Mexico that deals with the economic woes of Mexico and the role of U.S. policy in economic development is the best starting point. Seems that guarding the border receives the highest priority by our own leaders, while the extreme poverty and imbalances in Mexico are ignored. Certainly, these other issues take precedence over a healthy environment shared by all North Americans, including Monarchs.

Hedge Apples and Boy Scouts

2009-09-16T21:26:00.003-05:00

I dropped out of Scouts because most of the boys in my troupe were more interested in having hedge apple wars (throwing the fruit of Osage Orange Trees) than exploring the world of nature. Our campouts were pretty wild and not always eco-friendly. I tried to prevent some of the boys from killing a harmless snake, but they wouldn't listen to me. I enjoyed the Scout books, especially survival information. Through Boys Life, the scouting magazine, I learned to make pink lemonade from Staghorn Sumac fruit. This is NOT poison sumac, which grows in some parts of the U.S. but not Kansas. I also tried eating the roots of cattails, but never cared for them. The best thing about Scouts was the emphasis on being outdoors and learning to live with other creatures. In my community the Scout program is failing. I get a sense that it is failing elswhere also. I wonder what, if anything, will take its place in introducing children and youth to the natural world.

All Puffed Up with Bluff

2009-09-05T19:57:00.005-05:00

Found a newly hatched Eastern Hognosed Snake today at Arkalon Park east of Liberal. This little faker puffed up like a cobra, but I knew it was harmless. Hognose Snakes eat toads as adults and are not dangerous. They will puff up like a cobra, hiss loudly and strike when threatened, but they never open their mouths to bite. If their bluff doesn't work, then they will roll onto their back with belly up and pretend to be dead. If rolled back over, they turn belly up again. What a threatening snake, or should I say, threatened snake because in Kansas the Eastern Hognosed Snake is a watched species on the verge of becoming a threatened species. Their numbers are declining, likely because of habitat loss. They love sandy, river-bottoms and other areas where toads breed during wet years. I hope we don't lose this harmless bluffer.

Water Woes

2009-09-01T22:08:00.004-05:00

In terms of demand and supply, the demand for water from the Ogallala aquifer in western Kansas exceeds the supply according to the 2009 Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature published by the Kansas Water Authority.

The Ogallala-High Plains aquifer is being

pumped hard and, for most areas, at rates that can

not be maintained into the future. In most locations,

the Ogallala–High Plains aquifer is in decline, with

annual withdrawals far exceeding the average annual

recharge. p. 15

I have talked to locals who share this same concern, but it seems we just talk about the unchecked useage of water from the aquifer without taking action to curb it. Haskell County has seen a decrease between 10 to over 30 feet in the depth of the the water table in a ten year period from 1996 to 2006. My concern is that a depleted source of water means a major loss of population from this part of the state and the accompanying economic slump. People who work in the cattle industry, a large proportion of the population here, will be forced to move away because the grain production that makes agribusiness flourish will be diminished. Little water means little grain means an economic crash and major movement of workers away.

Return to the Farm, Virtually

2009-08-30T18:01:00.004-05:00

Friends and family members keep inviting me to join them in the virtual game called Farmville. I receive regular invitations to join and updates on their progress in farming on my Facebook page. The purpose of Farmville is to "play, invest and express yourself by plowing, growing and harvesting a variety of crops for money and game points." In addition to these activities, you can invest in your farm by buying fruit trees, pigs and cows and you can add barns, windmills and greenhouses. The developer of this game claims that it is the fastest growing social game ever. Thus, I must ask, "why the popularity?"

Perhaps the great migration of Americans in the last century from rural to urban life has left a void in our collective lives. Author, Richard Louv, popularized the term, nature-deficit disorder. This psychological disorder is the result of inadequate time spent connecting with nature. In his book, Last Child in the Woods, he wrote, "Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses." Perhaps the virtual experience of Farmville gaming is yet another indicator of our basic need to get back to nature.

Ah Kansas! Yellow Everywhere.

2009-08-27T22:14:00.006-05:00

The sunflowers and other late summer flowers are in full bloom. Yellows dominate the landscape. But one thing is somewhat missing--the pollinators. I hear and see some bees and flies, but not in proportion to the supply of flowers. I'm not sure whether the continual use of pesticides has severely reduced the numbers of pollinators, or if there is another reason for the depopulation of insects. Grasshoppers and kin are doing well. I know plants have received more rainfall than normal, thus they are prolific. But what happened to the bees and pollinating flies?

Seeing Invisible People

2009-08-23T14:24:00.005-05:00

Most of us walk through life seeing only what we want to see. I will never forget the article I read on invisible people. The definition of an invisible person is someone we don't want to see, not someone we cannot see: homeless, beggers, etc. My brother Jim chose to be an invisible person for a while. He disappeared from family gatherings and could not be found. Out of his experience as an invisible person, he learned to reach out with love and care for other invisible people. He also learned to live more simply and appreciate each day more fully. He had the gift of seeing things that others missed and walked past. Jim died last week, but he left me the challenge of noticing the invisible people around me. He also challenged me to consider how to tread more lightly on the Earth and embrace a more simple lifestyle.

Grandma's Kitchen Cabinet

2009-08-15T21:13:00.005-05:00

We didn't go to the sale of grandma's things, so we couldn't buy her kitchen cabinet. Our reason for wanting this antique furniture included the remembrance of grandma and our desire for a solid oak antique. But mainly, we were captivated by the idea that this item was the center of home life. The cabinet contained all the basics--flour, sugar, bread drawer and shelves for other staples. The kitchen cabinet also had a flat workspace to prepare meals. The cabinet, along with the cookstove, made sit-down-together family meals possible. They were the center of home life.

In contrast, families rarely eat together today and seldom eat food prepared from basic ingredients. We are in such a fast-paced, tightly-scheduled race to get through life, thus we take shortcuts in food preparation. I think the main reason my wife and I wanted grandma's kitchen cabinet was our desire for a slower and more centered life. Perhaps we can rediscover the life that reflects the values of balance and sustainbility.

It was a dark and stormy night...

2009-08-12T18:10:00.005-05:00

War costs in money and human lives. War also costs in terms of the environmental quality. I read that the greatest polluter in the world is our U.S. Department of Defense. "Pesticides, defoliants like Agent Orange, solvents, petroleum, lead, mercury, and depleted uranium are among the many deadly substances used by the military." All of these pollutants accompany the war machine. I do not question the need for a strong defense system. I question the unconscionable abuse and pollution of total ecosystems all in the name of defense. When will we wake up and find a brilliant new day of peace instead of a dark and stormy night?

Why Do We Need Wilderness Areas?

2009-08-10T21:51:00.003-05:00

I look to wilderness areas mainly for recreation, but I have discovered other values while there. The following quote expresses well the therapeutic value of wilderness.

Wilderness areas facilitate therapeutic healing

because they are void of so many of the factors that require an outward focus. Think about driving an automobile or grocery shopping. In many ways, these amount to sensory overload. Although we acclimate to these tasks, we are nonetheless overloaded, for the most part, to the point of having only outwardly-directed thoughts. In wilderness, the lack of these types of outward pressures and the forced increase in self-dependency and isolation provide the setting for inward self-reflection.

Ecopsychology Online, Sept. 1998, No. 6

Solitude is a spiritual discipline that helps us focus on the inner life. Often, solitude is found in wilderness areas, though it can be experienced elsewhere. This summer I experienced a great time of solitude at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. I am still reveling in self-discoveries from that experience.

One Clunker at a Time

2009-08-07T15:11:00.003-05:00

The so-called "Cash for Clunkers" program sure has received a lot of publicity lately. The basic idea, of getting gas-guzzling vehicles off the street and replacing them with more ecologically-friendly vehicles, seems sound. But, I must join with the skeptics and ask if our nation can afford to offer such incentives so that people will do the right thing. I don't like the thought of being paid to be moral. I guess morality cannot be legislated nor can it be bought. Actually, morality is legislated all the time. This nation cannot operate without laws. So, perhaps, placing our money in places that encourage people to make better choices makes some sense. Now that I have waffled on this issue enough, I guess I'll have to wait and see if "Cash for Clunkers" is folly or great wisdom.

Running a Fever

2009-08-05T10:37:00.003-05:00

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the first half of 2009 has been the warmest year for the entire Earth on record. The NOAA also reports that global ocean surface temperatures in June set a record high also. Apparently the Earth is running a fever and not everything can be blamed on nasty Mr. El Nino. Look out for some weather extremes the rest of this year and into the next.

Dangerous Nature

2009-08-04T22:29:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday I took pictures of a tornado south of Satanta, Kansas. This week the conversation around town drifted to sightings of the tornado and gratefulness that no one was injured. This experience is one more reminder of the many facets of nature. Sometimes nature is understood as beneficial and harmless. At other times nature is ominous and destructive. At all times nature deserves our respect and admiration. For this reason, I encourage people to spend time in nature getting acquainted with its many facets. There is no way that we can establish a healthy relationship with the natural world if we continually fence it out, wall it off and avoid it as if it was a contaminating plague. I respected and feared the tornado and did not want to get any closer, but there are wonderful aspects of nature I must experience more fully.

Nutritional Values Compared

2009-08-03T18:25:00.003-05:00

A recent study suggested that there is no more value in eating organically grown food than foods grown via traditional farming methods. The problem with the hoopla over organic vs non-organic is that this study addressed nutritional values only. Yes, carrots grown organically have the same nutrients than other carrots. That comes as no surprise to me. But, what about all of the additional chemicals the non-organic foods pass on to the consumer. I've tasted some kind of chemical in carrots that I purchased from local stores. In order to taste the chemical, the chemical content must be very high. I don't want such pollutants floating around in my cellular system. So, I pay a higher price for "organic" vegetables or grow my own. Thus, I may avert some of the high price of poor health later.

Fall Bird Migration

2009-08-03T06:37:00.003-05:00

Northern birds may be heading south early according to emailed messages of Kansas bird watchers. Warblers, a small woodland species of birds that pass through Kansas, have been sighted in eastern parts of the state. I took this picture of a Prairie Falcon last week that was likely starting back south. The weather in the northeast part of the continent has been cooler than normal, thus the birds have begun fall migration. Last week temperatures in the northwest were setting all-time records. I understand El Nino has kicked in again, which means a winter of abnormal weather patterns. Sounds like ol' mother nature can't find a balance lately. Is this part of the shifting global climate?

Advent of Barbed Wire

2009-08-01T21:51:00.006-05:00

Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends,
Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends.
One man likes to push a plough,
The other likes to chase a cow,
But that's no reason why they cain't be friends.

from Oklahoma, the musical

The West was settled through the application of new technologies, like barbed wire. The farmer fenced the cattle out of his fields so he could produce a crop. Open range eventually became a thing of the past in most of Kansas, because the farmer gained the right to fence his crops with barbed wire. Funny, how a simple invention can change the course of history. Perhaps nothing has changed ranching more than the application of windmills to water the herds. This state could not have been homesteaded had it not been for windmill technology. Perhaps our new wind generating technology will once again change lifestyles so that we are more environmentally healthy.

Lost Art of Canning

2009-08-01T21:41:00.003-05:00

At two county fairs I enjoyed seeing the rows of home-canned goods. What I most enjoyed was the thought of a healthy meal during the winter that includes home-grown and produced vegetables and fruits that have been preserved through canning. My wife just canned up some pickled beets. I feel like opening them now, but will wait until they are most appreciated during the months nothing grows in the garden.

Americans prefer buying their groceries over growing and processing them. I'm concerned that canning is becoming a lost art. The recent economic crisis has sent more people back to the garden for self-sustenance, but for how long?

"Sustainability", the New Catchword

2009-07-29T21:44:00.005-05:00

Sustainability is the new catchword for meshing with the natural environment. I found a great quote that communicates the basic thrust of what it means to be unsustainable.

The problem our civilization faces is that we currently are exceeding the Earth's carry capacity. Simply put, we are using too much, too fast of the Earth's resources. The Earth is simply unable to replenish those resources or to repair the environmental damage at a fast enough rate to keep up. Thus we have the many problems that are challenging our civilization - such as peak oil, climate change, the freshwater crisis, depletion of once-fertile soils, growing desertification and lost biodiversity.

Sustainability, Carrying Capacity, Impact by Tim Gamble

In order to reach sustainability, we must find a way to balance the human impact on the Earth so that the Earth's systems can find a new equillibrium. The process is not unlike balancing a car tire. Weights are placed in strategic places on the rim so that a balanced spin can be acheived. Our task as caretakers of this planet involves knowing where to place the weights and where to remove other weights. I believe relying less on fossil fuels and placing our emphasis on alternative energy sources will help us toward the goal of sustainability and the health of the whole world.

It's Edible and Pretty

2009-07-24T22:43:00.002-05:00

I was impressed by Linda Buzzell's recent post on edible landscaping. She got my attention by asking:

If the trucks ran short of fossil fuel and the supermarkets sold off their 3 days worth of food, is there anything to eat in your garden -- or on your patio or balcony? Or in your neighbor's yard?

I want my yard to look nice and I want to produce some of the food I consume bu growing it in my yard. So, planting landscape that can be used to supplement dinner seems very practical to me. It also helps people reconnect with the food they eat. I talked with a high school student about potatoes. He didn't realize potatoes are tubers that grow underground. He had never experienced them in their natural environment. Now, if his experience is similar to his peers, then we have many people who have never been in a typical garden and thus know little about where their food grows. This young man lives in a rural Kansas town of about 1000 people. Imagine how people in urban and suburban communities are disconnected from the soil and their food.

Corny Experience

2009-07-16T19:54:00.004-05:00

This week I decided to try something new. I walked down the rows of a corn field and laid on the ground with the stalks surrounding me. I had noticed that deer and coyotes just disappear into the corn field when they are threatened, so I wondered what it was like to disappear into the corn. Now, I realize that you may think that life is pretty slow in Satanta if I have to do such unusual activity. Yes, sometimes it is slow, but that is why I enjoy the pace. I can try new things.

My observations of the corn field experience include:

1. It seems to take longer to get out than in

2. It is safer to place arms protectively in front of the face while walking

3. There are fewer insects in the corn field than on the edges

4. Quieter and cooler in there

5. Corn has awesome stalks and roots--very sturdy

6. The ground, though damp, is not muddy (depends on when irrigated)

7. The "lost-in-the-forest" feeling causes some claustrophobia

8. Animals on all fours can see through the stalks better than animals on two feet

I want to do it again on a very hot day to see if the coolness factor holds up. I drive pass acres of corn fields all the time, but this is the first time I experienced one intimately.

Take a Hike

2009-07-15T11:04:00.003-05:00

I enjoy walking, especially in natural settings. Thus, when I found the results of the following study comparing walking in a shopping mall to walking in a country park, I was thrilled.

• 71% reported decreased levels of depression after the green walk
• 22% felt their depression increase after walking through an indoor shopping center and only 45% experienced a decrease in depression
• 71% said they felt less tense after the green walk
• 50% said their feelings of tension had increased after the shopping center walk
• 90% had increased self-esteem after the country walk
• 44% said their self-esteem decreased after window shopping in the shopping center.

Linda Buzzell's blog on The Huffington Post reports these refreshing statistics.

Land Lubbers

2009-07-11T11:36:00.003-05:00

The Plains Lubber Grasshopper is a large grasshopper that never develops adult wings, thus cannot fly. Though they have strong back legs, they seldom jump also. Some people have dissected lubber grasshoppers in biology classes. I caught several while I walked down an oil-field road the other day. This grasshopper is mainly beneficial, feeding on native sunflowers and other forbs. On occasion the lubber has caused damage to cotton crops.

Sometimes people "freak out" when they see a large insect. Of course, no one likes to be caught by surprise, but generally this insect is very passive and tries to hide in cover. It is harmless and if you ever get a chance, pick it up and observe it. This is a wonderfully adapted creature to the plains.

Digging for Treasure

2009-07-03T11:58:00.002-05:00

This morning I invited my wife to go with me and help dig for treasure. She readily accepted the invitation. We changed shoes, got a pair of garden gloves, a garden fork and some buckets and headed for the garden. The first clump of roots I dug up had red potatoes attached. Some plants produced many tubers, others few. We harvested a small garden cart full of potatoes. What a treasure and how good they taste! Harvesting fresh vegetables is one of the highlights of the home garden. Of course the harvest is associated with hot days, biting flies and sore muscles also.

The first summer we moved to Satanta a man offered us a bucket of potatoes. We gladly accepted. He explained that a commercial grower harvested these potatoes and left them piled high in a huge hill because they were culls--either too small or too large. What a contrast to the way my wife and I harvested potatoes. We even picked up and washed the tiny taters less than an inch in diameter. Nothing was going to be left behind. Seems to me that the bigger the operation, the greater the waste. Once again, hurray for small gardens!

Death of a Mentor

2009-07-01T15:43:00.005-05:00

Two weeks ago I learned of the death of Thomas Berry on June 1, 2009. My heart was saddened because of the personal loss of a mentor and the world's loss of a great proponent of paying attention to the nature. He wrote,

Even when we recognize our intimacy, our family relations with all the forms of existence about us, we cannot speak to those forms. We have forgotten the language needed for such communication. We find ourselves in an autistic situation. Emotionally, we cannot get out of our confinement, nor can we let the outer world into our own beings. We cannot hear the voices or speak in response.

Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth, 16-17.

I claim Berry as a mentor though I never met him personally. His writings have positively impacted my life and helped make me a better disciple of an ecological cosmology or what he also referred to as a "functional" cosmology. Our cosmology, or view of the way the world works, is the touchstone of all our thinking and behavior. We lost in Berry one who communicated clearly how to stay in touch with the world around us. I am thankful for his writings and for the sphere of influence he created.

Not a Haunting At All

2009-06-30T15:02:00.004-05:00

I had a wonderfully alive and spiritual time at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. The subject of the retreat my wife and I attended was "Greening our Spirits, Greening Our World." To support this greening effect, the desert around us was very green and blooming because of recent rains.

It seems that there is a great turning of the tide concerning not only protecting the earth, but also enjoying nature and its bounty. For so long we have looked at nature as another commodity to be acquired and sold for a profit. New values are being established by the masses that place emphasis on nature as being valuable whether it turns a monetary profit or not.

Among the Blogs that I follow is United Methodeviations, which is obviously a play on the name of the Christian denomination that I serve in as pastor. A recent post, Preach Green, Teach Green, Save the World, says "the entire 'green' issue has to do with responsibility, integrity, and faithful stewardship." These are churchy terms for the human role of interrelationship with nature. We cannot escape being a part of the world any more than we can keep from breathing. What we can do is make sure that what we breathe is good for all of God's creation.

Where Have All the Dairy Cows Gone?

2009-06-28T22:14:00.005-05:00

I drove by a large dairy operation on Friday and was shocked to find it was deserted. I asked around today and was told that the low price of milk has made it difficult for the corporate operation to turn a profit. This boogles my mind. Seems that the consumer is not getting that great a reduction in the price of milk. I guess I don't understand the economics of dairy operations very well. I was told that the cows were sold for meat--more hamburger, and that beef production is suffering also because Americans are eating less beef. I personally have chosen to consume less beef. I didn't realize so many are making the same choice.

Clean Coal Burning

2009-06-26T19:10:00.003-05:00

I hear that modern technology makes it possible to clean up coal-burning. But I don't hear anything about reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of coal. The energy companies may be able to filter out some of the pollutants, but the carbon joined with oxygen through combustion cannot be reduced as far as I know. I did read about the attempt to pump the carbon dioxide into the ground for storage. Sounds like an expensive partial solution. Looks like it is time to seriously consider other energy sources and technologies. I enjoyed riding on this antique train, but sure would hate to see us revert to such an obsolete technology for transportation. It is time to make coal-burning obsolete.

Weed or Wildflower?

2009-06-24T17:07:00.004-05:00

Today I walked through green meadows 9000 feet high in the mountains. Dandylions were everywhere and they were beautiful. Were they weeds? I believe they were wildflowers.

In our suburban milieu, dandylions are weeds to be persecuted and destroyed. When I was a child I loved dandylions and found many intriguing ways to play with them. Ever suck up an ant like an anteater by using the steam from the dandylion as a straw? Yes, I know that may sound strange, but I have always found nature to be entetaining and a great playground. In his book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv makes a great case for reconnnecting our children with nature. He claims that not only is our creativity stifled by lack of contact with nature, but our very person becomes stunted when we neglect spending time in nature. His argument sure persuades me to encourage my children and grandchildren to spend unstructured time outdoors in natural settings.

Salvage Yard or Recycling Center?

2009-06-22T22:45:00.003-05:00

Whatever name you give it, a junk yard still is a blight. I can't help but see the waste of resources that our oil-dependent economy produces. We must find a better way that is more sustainable.

Brilliant Colors Among the Desert Landscape

2009-06-21T18:23:00.004-05:00

Last week I spent at a retreat in New Mexico called Ghost Ranch. The only haunting thing about Ghost Ranch is the shifting colors of the hills, buttes and cliffs. Also, I discovered bright colors among the flora and fauna. I expected a certain "sameness" and perhaps even drabness, but was pleasantly surprised. Thus, the call for preserving the diversity of plant and animal life in all kinds of places.

My Best Garden Crop

2009-06-13T10:33:00.003-05:00

I struggle to keep up with Redroot Pigweed in my garden. This plant is a prolific seeder, grows quickly and has a deep taproot. It also breaks off at ground level when pulled, unless I pull carefully with my fingers embedded in the soil a quarter inch. If the root remains, then the pigweed comes back with two to four new stems and quickly spreads out. So, what can I do? Since I do not apply herbicide, I must apply the labor-intensive method of manually removing them or mulching heavily enough to keep them down. An alternative use of the plant, other than compost fodder, is to eat the leaves raw or cook them as greens. They are an edible variety of amaranth that have been used as a food source fro early on. Only one warning goes with human or animal consumption of pigweed: don't eat pigweed grown in areas that are high in nitrates. Apparently pigweed concentrates the nitrate to poisoning levels in its leaves and cause trouble if large amounts are eaten. Soils high in nitrates are those where typical agricultural methods have applied chemical fertilizers. Thus, another reason for being careful in applying chemical fertilizers to lawns and gardens. Of course, many people will simply claim that pigweed is not on their grocery list, so why bother to carefully apply fertilizer. My concern is that if pigweed absorbs and concentrates nitrates, then what about lettuce, cabbage, spinach, and other leafy greens? Perhaps pigweed is not my best garden crop, but it looks like it has some real potential.

Taking the Bottle Out of Water

2009-06-13T10:18:00.003-05:00

According to industry experts, less than 24 percent of plastic beverage bottles were recycled in 2007. Recently, I heard that some kind of biodegradable product is being developed to use for water bottles. I think the best thing is to reuse the bottles and finally recycle them. Besides, I'm getting tired of picking up water and soft drink bottles along the street and placing them in dumpsters. My wife warns me not to drink water that has been warmed in the car by the greenhouse effect, because the plastics release dangerous chemicals into the water. In other words, the bottle gets dissolved by the world's greatest solvent--water! Is it time to take the bottle out of water?

The Eagle's Flight

2009-06-07T16:05:00.004-05:00

In 1962 Rachel Carson published her book Silent Spring. This book influenced the establishment of a national pesticide policy which led to to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. It also spurred on the grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. One author inspired a nation to save the Bald Eagle whose very existence was endangered by the use of DDT. This week I observed and photographed this majestic bird as it flew away with a fish. Just to think that we almost annihilated the eagles in our quest to control insects makes me sad. Our current use of insecticides and herbicides, applied on a broad scale very liberally, threatens many forms of life, perhaps even our own. Why do we continue to apply them with little thought to life and health?

Don't Just Pick Flowers, Eat Them Too

2009-06-02T21:38:00.002-05:00

I received a great tour by a cattleman of his ranchland and he mentioned that both deer and cattle love to eat the flowers from the Yucca stalks. I recalled that the flowers are edible, so you guessed it--I ate some. They are pretty good. One source said, "The white Yucca flower is crunchy with a mildly sweet taste (a hint of artichoke) in the spring, they can be used in salads and as a garnish."

I've browsed on many a wild plant and discovered palatable and even tasty foods that most people ignor because they are not sold in the grocery store. For instance, the petals of violets are mildly floral in taste and make a nice addition to salads. I've always eaten the early seeds of elm trees before they start to dry up. Just strip them off the branch, and if you are not too finicky, pop them in your mouth without washing them. I wonder how many good and useful foods we pass up because of basic ignorance and failure to experiment. By the way, don't try the little black seeds of Illinois Bundleweed. That flavor is horrible and lasting.

Amazing Imitation, Disturbing Sounds

2009-05-27T18:01:00.004-05:00

I was pointed to an intriguing video on birds that can mimic other sounds, even chain saws and crashing trees. The Lyre Bird mimics sounds that it hears in its environment. Disturbingly, some of those sounds are the destruction of its forest environment. What happens when the forest is gone? Does the Lyre Bird cease vocalizing or just cease? Check it out! See Lyre Bird Making Sounds by David Attenborough on YouTube.

Claiming a Sabbath

2009-05-25T07:57:00.003-05:00

Sabbath is an ancient Jewish practice of taking a day of rest one day a week. The practice and concept of Sabbath contrasts significantly with America's culture of production and captitalistic venture. Wendell Berry says it so well: "In the industrial world, at climax, one family cannot or will not support itself by one job. We need a job for the day and one for the night...Everybody is weary, and there is no rest." ("Preface" in Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight, 2006 by Norman Wirzba)

Yesterday I experienced both rest and delight as I explored the countryside and walked the backroads. The Cimarron River valley is ablaze with flowers and I can't wait to return and see what other joys await me. Truly, our industrial, nature-removed society is impoverished by our choices to remain indoors and distant.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2009-05-24T20:38:00.005-05:00

This spring we had some good rains on the semi-arid land around my home. Not only has everything greened up, but the wild flowers have shown their real colors. Sneezeweed in bright yellow and blanket flowers in reds and oranges adorn the prairie with a brilliance that many locals don't recall seeing before. I am reminded of the Bible prophet predicting that the desert will bloom--a source of hope for tomorrow. I read that sneezeweed in abundance is often the result of poor grazing practices. Even so, the beauty certainly offsets the poor practice some.

Found Sweet Potato Plants

2009-05-23T17:44:00.002-05:00

I found sweet potato plants in Salina, KS. The clerk said that she was fortunate to get some in because of the great increase in gardening. The troubled economy has sent people back to the soil in order to conserve money and produce supplemental food. Gardening also helps us get in touch with the world around us, thus it is therapeutic. Perhaps the financial crisis will help many rediscover a joy of living and nurturing life.

Ruler of the World

2009-05-16T22:05:00.003-05:00

In gradeschool I was obsessed with dinosaurs, especially T-Rex. I pretended to be T-Rex, the King of the dinosaurs and stomped around and roared. Yes, I knew the King was dead, but I enjoyed pretending to be the strong and invincible ruler of the world. Most children want to control their world. Many adults have the same desire. I believe this is the cause of harmful attitudes toward nature.

Thomas Berry wrote, "The naive assumption that the natural world is there to be possessed and used by humans for their advantage and in an unlimited manner cannot be accepted. The Earth belongs to itself and to all the component members of the Earth community."

Thomas Berry, The Great Work, 61.

We belong to each other, are responsible and accountable to each other, and live for each other. Why do we think we have to rule over one another?

Time to Mow Again

2009-05-14T22:26:00.002-05:00

I hate mowing my lawn weekly. When it gets dry, I seldom water and purposely allow the lawn to go into partial dormancy during the heat of the summer. I would rather have what I call a "Colordao yard." I've noticed that people landscape with rocks, gravel and clusters of plants in the Rocky Mountain states. They practice xeriscaping, a great way to conserve water and have an aesthetically interesting yard. Check out the following two minute video.

XERISCAPE

Designs and Designers

2009-05-13T22:28:00.003-05:00

This ariel view of my town and surrounding farmland shows the beauty of circles and semi-circles bordered by other crops. Our economy is based predominantly on irrigated crops. Our water use policy is depletion of the aquifers that supply the water for irrigation. Though the designs are beautiful, the designers are flawed because the plan leads to obsolescence of this form of agriculture and the depopulation of southwest Kansas.

How Tos of Organic Gardening

2009-05-11T22:16:00.004-05:00

I found a great article on how to start to garden organically (smart gardening). Check out "Making Your Green Dreams a Reality: Organic Garden"

by Sarah Schmidt

Greens from the Garden

2009-05-09T17:02:00.003-05:00

This week in May I have begun harvest. I harvested some Baby Bok Choy (transplanted under milk jug hotcaps-see previous post) and radishes. The leaf and semi-head lettuce will be available for harvest next week. I love fresh garden vegetables grown according to my own organic methods. Yes, I am one of those eco-freaks who gets concerned about the use of pesticides and fertilizers made from oil. Most fertilizers that claim miracle growth are quick fixes, comparable to sugarized and stimulant-overdosed energy drinks we humans consume. They boost the system quickly and then let it down even more tumultously. I use compost and animal manures in place of commercial fertilizers. Instead of pesticide applications that poison harmful and useful insects and creatures alike, I prefer to pull weeds, mulch, intercrop and overplant. These organic methods are more labor-intensive and require that I apply more TLC to the garden. My method also keeps me connected to the living soil and its many living organisms. That is why I enjoy my greens from the garden.

In addition to my love of garden produce I am growing in my love for all of creation. A common creation story gives us the substance of what it means to experience being interrelated to all life.

"From this story [common creation story] we learned that we are radically interrelated with and dependent on everything else in the universe and especially on our planet. We exist as individuals in a vast community of individuals within the ecosystem, each of which is related in intricate ways to all others in the community of life." Sallie McFague, The Body of God, 108.

Green Theme

2009-05-09T15:05:00.006-05:00

Just experienced my second Satanta Day Parade. Green was the theme. From the Garden of Eden to the Lion's Club recycling trailer, the parade went on. Hopefully, more "green" thinking will move Satanta to green acting.

Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?

2009-05-08T18:11:00.003-05:00

The first Monarch Butterfly of the season ended up on the grill of my car. I mourned its loss because I see fewer butterflies now, than when I was a child. Mom made my brothers and me each a butterfly net when we were in gradeschool. I spent much time chasing elusive butterflies and moths in our neighborhood. They were abundant because back then people were not as concerned about emmaculate lawns. White clover and dandelions grew profusely in our yard and the park next door. A multiculture of lawn plants is home of many caterpillars.

Today, we expect our lawns to be a monculture of grass, and broadleaf plants are constantly poisoned out through use of herbicides. Thus, the habitat for my beloved childhood butterflies and moths has been radically reduced and their numbers followed. Our choices and preferences for beauty end up favoring even, green lawns over insect life.

Creation is suffering from lack of safety and homelessness for many of its species; that is a given; however, many species have not only lost homes but they are in danger of losing their very existence. (NCC Eco-Justice Blog)

Perfectly Green Neighborhood

2009-05-04T07:46:00.006-05:00

I do not live in a perfectly green neighborhood, but perhaps I can help the process of going on to perfection. I found this great list of what a perfectly green neighborhood would look like.

One list is being considered by the U.S. Green Building Council in its new LEED for Neighborhoods rating system. Neighborhoods win points by fulfilling as many as possible of these criteria:

Proximity to water and water infrastructure
Protecting imperiled species
Conserving water and wetlands
Conserving farmland
Avoiding development in floodplains
Redeveloping brownfields
Reducing dependence on automobiles
Creating bicycle networks
Designing so that housing is near jobs and schools
Avoiding steep slopes
Restoring wildlife habitat
Compact development
Diversity in uses, housing types and housing affordability
Walkable streets
Reducing footprints for parking
Providing good access to public spaces
Ensuring accessibility for people of all abilities
Local food production
Involving the community in neighborhood development
Preventing pollution, waste and site disturbance during construction
Achieving high levels of energy efficiency, water and materials efficiency in buildings
Reusing historic buildings
Reducing in urban heat islands
Achieving good wastewater management and comprehensive waste management Source: Vision Power, Part 2 by Wlliam s. Becker

Watchful Care

2009-05-01T21:49:00.003-05:00

The Canada Goose population is on the rise. I remember when the sight of Canada Geese in urban areas was somewhat unusual. Now, because people feed them and give them special care, they seem to be over abundant. Just goes to show that a little care goes along way!

These geese and goslings posed for me at Scott lake, near Scott City, KS. Okay, they ran from me. Some of my family members also run when they see me with a camera.

Nature Healing

2009-04-29T22:11:00.004-05:00

My doctoral thesis involved the discovery of the healing qualities of keeping in touch with the natural world. On my days off this week I plan on visiting a United Methodist Camp beside a lake in a beautiful natural setting. I know I will return refreshed and renewed after experiencing this excursion in nature.

There is a healing quality to nature, which has been known for centuries be it taking time to smell the roses, meditating on a mountain, lying in a wildflower field, strolling by a meandering stream, or hiking in ancient redwood groves.

Nature Awareness as a Therapeutic Modality:
Part 1: The Healing Qualities of Nature
Kirsti A. Dyer

Nature doesn't always heal. Sometimes the powerful forces of nature destroy and harm. While I write this a large thunderstorm approaches my hometown. The weather service warns of strong winds, large hail and torrential rains. Though I am excited about the storm, I have seen enough destruction by severe storms. Nature can restore and it can destroy.

Life is always a mixed bag of good and bad. What we do with that bag is what is most important.

Perennial Problem

2009-04-27T21:56:00.004-05:00

How can we make American agriculture more eco-friendly. Wes Jackson of the Land Institute in Salina, KS proposes the development of multi-culture perennial crops as a great step towards working with the natural world. Natural prairie is multi-cultural in that a number of species of plants coexist harmoniously. Most field crops are mono-cultural and chemicals made from oil are used to prevent other plant species from "invading" the field. A perennial plant grows back every year and produces seeds/grain. Most field crops must be planted annually. The Land Institute scientists and geneticists are beginning to develop perennial grain sorghum and wheat that can be grown along with other crops in the same field. If you take five minutes to view this video, you will begin to understand the revolutionary ways agriculture can mesh with the environment.

Click on Perrenial Good Food in Kansas

Weather Watch

2009-04-23T21:07:00.004-05:00

When the term "weather watch" is used, most people think of severe weather. Yet, every day I participate in a weather watch. I find that rural Kansans love to talk about the weather. This subject initiates conversations and can at times be accompanied with emotional energy. Lately, we had a slow, soaking rain twice in a week accumulating over 2 inches. For this semi-arid region, this type of and quantity of rain is exceptional. Thus, people enthusiastically compared how much they had in their rain guages.

For the last two days we have had high temperatures in the 80s. Tomorrow the temperature may reach 90. These temperatures are also the talk of the town because they are exceptional. I do not believe records are being broken, but rural residents agree that these temps are too hot for April. I wonder if this is another sign of the general imbalance called global climate change. Are the millions of tons of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride causing weather extremes and large fluctuations? I guess I'll just have to keep up my weather watch.

Earth Day 2009 Mini-trip

2009-04-22T21:49:00.003-05:00

My wife and I visited a Bison ranch operated by Kansas Wildlife and Parks near Garden City, Kansas. We took a motor tour through the pasture and I got several great photos.

This event topped off our Earth Day celebrating. I can't imagine this part of the world with millions of Bison on the vast expanses of grassland. Today, I am amazed at a small herd of less than 100 Bison. We sure have altered the landscape and its biomes in a relatively short time.

Trip Around Kansas

2009-04-18T21:37:00.003-05:00

For the last three days I have traveled the length and breadth of my home state. I've enjoyed the greening wheat fields and the pools of water in many fields; a result of recent rains. Around and in the water I observed waterfowl and other birds. I also heard many frog choruses. Life was abundant around the watery biomes. I discovered that these temporary ponds are called playas and they are essential for the refurbishing aquifers. Playas are also important rest stops for migrating birds. The tragic reality is that there are fewer playas each year because of our agricultural emphasis on using every possible space for crops. Fields are leveled out, drained and farmed. The birds fly further and some perish because they have no place to stop and be refreshed. And, alarmingly, the aquifers are becoming depleted. Now, you can see why I enjoy seeing pools of water in the fields.

A Familiar Voice

2009-04-13T21:39:00.005-05:00

I grew up in northeast Kansas in the suburbs of Topeka. The fields nearby were always flowing over with spring rains and provided a wonderful place for exploration. It was around these ponds and pools that I heard a chorus of voices of the Western Chorus Frog. These diminuitive frogs made a lot of sound every spring. I missed hearing their voices here in Satanta last year. But not in 2009! This year the rain came and filled the lower areas of a field near town. My friends, the heralds of spring and wetter weather, are in chorus now. It is wonderful to hear a familiar voice. In a previous post I claimed to have discovered only three species of frogs and toads in Haskell County. Now I claim four, with the inclusion of the Western Chorus Frog.

Intrinsic Value of Nature

2009-04-13T07:35:00.002-05:00

Environmental ethics begins with our basic values. Kansans are embroiled in a fight on the state level concerning coal-fired electric plants in Holcomb. Sunflower Electric Power Corporation applied for an air permit from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the application was denied in October 2007. Governor Kathleen Sebelius has promised to veto any bill presented to her from the legislature that would allow for the construction of the additional coal-fired plant at Holcomb. Her stated reason is concern over the production of tremendous amounts of CO2 by the plant. Local people and the Kansas Legislature argue for the plant because of the economic benefits. I acknowledge that the coal-fired plant has great economic potential for southwest Kansas. I am concerned that the ecological concerns are greater than economic concerns, especially as we begin to understand the detrimental effects of additional CO2 production and global warming.

The natural world has intrinsic value, that is, it is valuable beyond the value established by economic potentials for humanity. When we continue to unabatedly pollute our atmosphere and consequently throw off the balance of nature, we demonstrate that our system of values is off base. It is time to re-examine our basic values and return to a solid ethical attitude toward nature.

"The belief that human beings and all other creatures have value for themselves and that they are valued by God, becomes the ground for ethical attitudes towards nature."¹

1. Charles Birch, "Preface," The Earth Story in Genesis, eds. Norman C. Habel and Shirely Wurst (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000) 12.

3 Rs & My Garden

2009-04-11T09:50:00.003-05:00

Recycle, Reuse & Reduce: the watchwords of an environmentally friendly lifestyle. I enjoy gardening and have long practiced organic methods of growing produce for our table. I also like to get an early start, but the wind and radical temperature changes in the spring on the high plains of Kansas threaten my young plants. A partial solution to the unpredictable weather is to place one gallon plastic jugs over the newbies. I save milk jugs and other one gallon plastic containers, cut off their bottoms and place them over my plants. I water through the top and leave the cap off. So far I have had excellent results by using these "hotcaps" throughout the early growing season. When the temperature remains in the 80s and above for days, I need to remove the jugs.

Since the two of us do not drink much milk and we seldom purchase other products in the gallon size, we had a shortage of hotcaps. My wife suggested we ask a coffee shop if they had any empty milk cartons. They were happy to send us away with two large garbage sacks of jugs and wanted to supply even more. I guess Latte' is pretty popular.

KAMP

2009-04-10T21:40:00.004-05:00

For several years during the months of March - June I sat in my vehicle after sunset on country roads and listened to the mating calls of frogs and toads. Sounds exciting? Perhaps not exciting along the line of a ball game, but important to me and Kansas Wildlife and Parks.

Photo: Adult Plains Spadefoot. Photograph by Suzanne L. Collins, The Center for North American Herpetology.

The Kansas Anuran Monitoring Program (KAMP) is a volunteer program coordinated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). KAMP was initiated in 1998 to help determine the status and population trends of Kansas' 22 species of frogs and toads.(Center for North American Herpetology website)

Toads, frogs and salamanders are very sensitive to environmental changes and contamination. They are the early warning indicators for pollution and stressed environments. For this reason, I monitored the vocalizing species and the approximate numbers of each species I heard. I am currently living in a county that has three species of amphibians and no flowing streams. I was amazed last summer when a huge chorus of toads filled the night following a large rainfall. Before this rain, I had seen an occasional toad under the street lights in town. Suddenly thousands of toads found temporary breeding places in the flooded fields. I waded out into the fields to see who was there. I know passerbys on the highway probably wondered what that guy was doing out there.

Even as a child I caught toads and frogs and kept them as pets. They are wonderful and harmless creatures. I was recently dismayed when I read the current National Geographic and saw the pictures of all the frogs in South American that have gone extinct in recent years. If these creatures serve as early warning indicators of major problems, perhaps it is time for us to take notice and do something about the environmental crisis on this small planet.

What's That Stink?

2009-04-06T17:45:00.003-05:00

When we knew we would move to southwest Kansas two years ago, we were excited. My wife and I enjoy the wide, open spaces and we like thesun and the wind. What we didn't expect was the stink from the feedlots and other large, corporate farming operations. In this part of the state the winds blows regularly and strongly. The wind shifts directions and within 15 miles in most directions around Satanta you can find a large feedlot. There are times I have stepped outside only to hold my breath in order to get inside as soon as possible. Not only is the stench offensive, also there are potential health problems related to this form of pollution. I read that "factory farms also cause air pollution, emitting foul odors, dust, small airborne particulates and numerous toxic chemicals."(Diane Hatz is the Founder of Sustainable Table, Executive Producer of The Meatrix movies and co-Founder of the Eat Well Guide.)

I am concerned about he airborne particulates that potentially transmit bateria that are resisitant to antibiotics. Most commerical farms apply regular doses of antibiotics in animal feed in order to reduce illness among the stressed creatures. Hatz warns that "the spread of food borne illness that can be transferred to humans is increased by factory farms’ overcrowded, confined, filthy conditions." I would hate to be at the center of an epidemic of disease that cannot be treated by antibiotics, yet I fear this is a potential here. I don't like to join the crowd of alarmists nor do I wish to challenge the primary industry in my county. But I do have real concerns that seem to be ignored in my corner of Kansas.

Birds in Trouble

2009-04-03T07:52:00.006-05:00

I share on a Listserv about bird migration in my area of Kansas. Two weeks ago I heard that Purple Martins were sighted on our southern border near Winfield. Yesterday, I saw my first pair in Satanta. This week I also saw two Turkey Vultures soaring over the park. Over a month ago the Sandhill Cranes flew in large flocks over town. The signs of spring are everywhere. But one bit of information about birds concerns me. According to the 2009 released State of the Birds Report by Audubon, many grassland species are on the decline.

"Some of the American landscape’s most

iconic birds are showing steep declines. Eastern

and Western meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Shorteared

Owls, and Northern Bobwhites have

declined by 38–77% since 1968."

It would be a sad day indeed should the Meadow Lark, Kansas' state bird, disappear from our landscape. One of my earliest memories is looking out the front door and seeing a Meadow Lark singing on our lawn. The Meadow Larks moved out as the housing developments took their prairie. I hope we don't cause them to move out entirely by destroying their habitat.

National Landscape Conservation System

2009-03-31T21:48:00.001-05:00

I'm excited that our President signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Commentators say this is "one of the largest and most significant expansions of wilderness protection to come out of Congress in the past quarter century." (Larry's Environmental Blog).

This law establishes the National Landscape Conservation System to protect 26 million acres of Bureau of Land Management controlled land. Conservation now becomes a priority for management at 850 sites nationwide.

Return of the Dust Bowl

2009-03-31T20:58:00.004-05:00

In my conversations with folk who lived through the Dirty 30s I have noticed how those trying times continue to haunt them. When it gets dry, they recall how wet blankets over windows helped reduce dust in the air, but still many got dust pneumonia. They speak of darkness at noon and visibility limited to a few yards. The assasination of Kennedy and the terrorism of 9-11 made a strong impact on me, but it doesn't seem to have caused as much an impact as the Dust Bowl days did on the folks to whom I spoke.

One reason for this reflection is the rediscovery of a book by C. Dean Freudenberger in my library. I picked it up at a book sale for $3 and hid it in my bookshelf. The title is Global Dust Bowl. Freudenberger warns that the Earth's resources are limited and our human population is growing at uncontrollable rates. He warns that when the landscape [environment] is exhausted human society will come to an end. He believes the way back is to "foster a cooperative, nuturing, and even enhancing relationship with the natural system"(p. 35). I don't like to dwell on doom and gloom, but I have to admit that Freudenberger's prohecy rings uncomfortably true. Many prophetic voices have taken up the call to return to nature, not fight against it. My friends who endured and survived the Dust Bowl have convinced me that we don't want to mess up the world any more than we already have.

Slow Food Movement

2009-03-28T21:53:00.002-05:00

I read about the value of savoring and enjoying food instead of gulping it down in order to save time. Why do we get so caught up in "saving time" that we fail to enjoy the time we have? Doesn't make much sense to rush through life and fail to live it.

The following list was gleaned from What Is Slow Food?
by ELIZABETH BARRETTE

1. The food we eat should be tasty and nourishing.
2. It should be grown in ways that do not harm the environment or people, and should be processed in hygenic ways.
3. The people who grow and prepare our food should be properly compensated for their work.
4. Local flavor. Ethnic and local recipes give food a unique quality that varies from place to place. Slow food advocates encourage traditional methods of preparing and preserving foods.
5. Genetic diversity. Farmers raise rare breeds of livestock suited to local conditions, whose meat, milk, and eggs have distinctive flavors. Gardeners save seed and otherwise propagate varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs suited to their specific region, which contribute to the characteristic flavor of the cuisine.
6. Education about the risks of fast food. This includes economic and social drawbacks of factory farming, environmental impacts of monoculture, and health hazards of processed foods.

Off Balance

2009-03-27T15:17:00.002-05:00

The way I understand global warming is that the climate will swing back and forth more radically as a new balance is achieved. Today, a March blizzard rages outside my home. March blizzards occur periodically in this area--residents still recall the 1979 and 1959 blizzards. I wonder if this one is any more extreme than previous blizzards. Early reporting was not accompanied by careful data recording, radar, etc. Another indicator of global warming is the frequency of weather extremes. I hope we don't get another blizzard right after this one. I remember two such blizzards and their devastation when we lived at Hill City, Kansas.

Wind Generators Near Montezuma

2009-03-24T21:50:00.001-05:00

Not a blemish!

RePower America

2009-03-24T21:49:00.001-05:00

I found a great sight for the future of a clean-energy America. Check it out at http://www.repoweramerica.org/plan/.
The main points are:
Energy Efficiency: A national upgrade to eliminate waste, save money, and improve comfort. Make every bit of energy we produce work harder for us.
Renewable Generation: Accelerate the ramp-up of clean, renewable electricity sources through policies that support increased private and public investment in technologies that work, like wind, solar, and geothermal.
Unified National Smart Grid: Modernize transmission infrastructure so that clean electricity generated anywhere in America can power homes and businesses across the nation; Build national electricity 'interstates' that move power quickly and cheaply to where it is needed; Establish local smart grids that buy and sell power from households and support clean plug-in cars.
Automobiles: Transition to efficient plug-in cars that 'fuel' with clean electricity. In combination with the unified grid, a nationwide fleet of plug-in vehicles also provides a key source of electricity storage.
This site also noted that Kansas is ranked 3rd in the US for its wind energy potential of 121,000-megawatts, but only ranks 12th for its current wind energy development - leaving huge opportunity for growth in the industry.
I am so pleased to see the increase in wind generators in Kansas. I had heard that the generators were blemishes on the horizon. I find them to be beautiful.

Fun in Dune Country

2009-03-22T20:30:00.002-05:00

My wife and I had a great time yesterday walking a trail through the sand dunes near Beaver, OK.

In a recent post I talked about taking a walk as a simple pleasure.

This walk was pleasurable and uncomfortable. We didn't expect 85 degree weather in March in the midst of a desert.

Obama’s Community Garden

2009-03-22T19:49:00.001-05:00

Seems that everyone is talking about Michelle's garden. She is involving students who will help cultivate and produce delicious, healthy vegetables to be cooked in the White House Kitchen and shared with the homeless in Washington, DC. There has been talk in my hometown, Satanta, about providing space for a community garden. Grocery prices keep escalating and everyone knows that fresh produce is best in flavor and quality. I think the glitch here is liability insurance concerns. Personal property owners who allow a community garden may be liable for injuries on their property. I talked with the Green Team from our church about such a garden, but we could not find a suitable spot, especially since a building project is in the works. One way to share the produce is for gardeners in the church to bring their extra produce to the church during the growing season to share with others. I think that a little publicity and perhaps the donation of a small refrigerator would make this program a reality. At least, this would be onestep in the direction that the Obama's have modeled.

Life Abundant

2009-03-21T08:10:00.002-05:00

Jesus promised abundant life in John 10:10. The abundance he spoke about was more than the accumulation of things and obsession with possessions that our materialistic society preaches. In fact, the current economic crunch may help us find real abundance in the midst of want. I get email from Peter Sawtell, Executive Director, Eco-Justice Ministries.(see http://www.eco-justice.org/e-list.asp) In his last email he said, "we find abundant living when we discover how to live joyously and sustainably within what God has provided." His implication is obvious: life is more than the abundance of our possessions. What can I do today to experience this truth?

1. take a long walk and observe life around me

2. be silent and listen more

3. share good food with friends & family (doesn't have to be expensive food to be good)

4. cultivate the arts or other forms of personal expression

5. take a trip through reading (see the world through another's eyes)

6. do the most distasteful chores first, then enjoy the sense of accomplishment

7. laugh and play

Maintaining Margin

2009-03-18T22:05:00.002-05:00

I just came home from a six day vacation. I feel rested and ready for tomorrow. Why is that? Because I allowed enough space (margin) in my life. I ran across this quote regarding margin and a reserve:

A sufficient reserve means having what we need to handle life’s unplanned and unexpected demands and opportunities. When we live with margin, we have something stored up to provide for ourselves and others when special needs arise. ‘Sufficient’ does not mean we will always have enough time, energy, and money to meet the unexpected. Sometimes unplanned events will overwhelm our reserve and leave us depleted. But if our norm is to have margin, we will be able to replenish our reserve in good time, without damaging ourselves and/or others. A reserve is meant to be used in times of need.
Most of the time we think of reserve in terms of finances. I like the idea of reserve as applied to all of life. I believe a simplified life begins with maintenance of margin and the establishment of reserve. This is often the result of discovering harmony within oneself and harmony with the universe.

Natural Orientation

2009-03-11T08:17:00.001-05:00

Yet few, if any, apparently, could see that the ultimate basis of our ecological difficulties lay in our spirituality itself, as it has come down through the centuries, a situation that could be remedied only by a more intimate human association with the natural world in its evolutionary unfolding.
Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth, 116

Christian Ecospirituality

2009-03-09T07:47:00.003-05:00

Are the terms "Christian" and "ecospirituality" at odds with one another? I believe that a normal result of Christian spirituality is the re-attachment to the natural world. In the past, when humans had a difficult time surviving, Christian leaders focused mainly on the afterlife: This life is too hard, thus let's focus on heaven. During those struggling times people feared the demons of the forest and evil winds of the plains. They could not identify the sources of disease, thus assigned the fault to nature. We see our world through different eyes today. The eyes of faith help us to see the natural world as "good" [see God's declaration in Genesis 1].

I was pleased to discover a great explanation of Christian ecospirituality on the net: At the same time it [Christian ecospirituality] is prophetic in its denunciation of lifestyles of excess and exploitation, and visionary in its call to simplicity in the light of the messianic dream of the 'peaceable kingdom' where human beings, animals and all creation live in harmony (see Isa.11).gracestreet.typepad.com/gracestreet_a_company_of_/2009/03/christian-ecospirituality.html

Carbon Black Plant & Neighborhood farm

2009-03-07T20:05:00.002-06:00

I enjoyed taking photos of the old carbon black plant and nearby farmstead. Everytime I see this plant I am saddened by the loss of jobs when it closed in the 50s, the deteriorating condition of the place and the reminder of carbon black coating fields, buildings and lungs.

Don't Forget to Turn Out the Lights

2009-03-07T19:36:00.002-06:00

What would happen if everyone turned out the lights tonight? Perhaps the Milky Way Galaxy would show its myriads of stars to the wonder of an astonished city/town. And perhaps a our carbon footprint would be a little less.