New Links

Hello it is me again, just wanted to let you know I have added a few more links on the links page if anyone is interested.  Enjoy!

The Patch Job Election

OK here's the deal, I had a whole other post I wanted to write but I went and read something, and well this is what happens when I am left alone for too long.  Don't worry I may get around to the other post one day.   

It is an election year right now in the US, and a crazy one at that.  This election seems to be gaining a little more international attention than normal, so although I try to limit my political opinions online, you know so I do not get beat up, I felt the need to say something, as this election may be a little more relevant to more people globally due to the extra attention it seems to be getting.  Now this is not me bashing any one party, just making an observation and trying to offer some alternative points to think about.
During elections, no matter where you live, lots of promises are made, which can be very exciting. But the issue that I am noticing with all these promises is that they are essentially meaningless empty ideas that could never come to fruition.  Now I am sure you are all saying, wow Charlotte you are such a downer, which, hey might be true, but here me out.  Politicians like to make promises related to money and taxes, pledges about the fixing the economy or education, and vows made to create social justice.  What is missing from all those amazing promises, you guessed it, the environment.  It seems so simple, this topic should be the front runner, yet it seems to be minor footnote at best. Without some sort of serious effort to protect and preserve the only planet that, as far as we know, can house us insane humans, all those other issues become irrelevant.  This might also be why crazy politicians, and the rest of our mixed up human race, continue this cycle of making the same promises over and over with no permanent solutions.  Because to quote the great Taylor Swift, "band aides don't fix bullet holes" (oh man I just went there, hopefully it makes sense to you like it does in my head).  We need to stop the patch jobs and work to fix something that impacts us all, our home.

Now you all know what happens to my little brain when I read stuff, that's right I go all crazy and start thinking and then talking (or worse writing) (maybe not always in that order).  So back to my point, I read recently in the the book, The Story of Stuff  by Annie Leonard, to think of systems as a whole (in order to keep the post short I using a very macro level approach to "systems"), and to fully understand that everything is connected (a recurring theme on this blog).  Now this is certainly not a new concept to most, but it puts a whole new light on this election if we think of what is being promised in this way.  They are many systems on this planet, there are man made systems, like political and economic systems, and there are natural systems like oh I don't know the natural environment and everything else that humans like to mess up.  These systems have to work together, why, because I said so.  And also because if we blow ourselves up (and we have lots of different ways that we can do that now, scary), those other man made systems are all well, pointless.
Look I know there are a million different issues out there that can divide us and make us all go crazy (for some, myself included, it might be too late, the crazy is upon us), but there is one issue that should unify us, our home, this planet, we all share it and we all depend on it.  Without our world, which provides us with some essentials, such as oxygen and water, what point is there to fighting over what religion your are, what political party you back, where you come from, you name it, it all becomes irrelevant.  Seems like we might have some misguided and unorganized priories.  Looking at the system as whole makes you wonder why?  Why do we argue over over the petty stuff? And when can we focus on issues (the issue) that matter.  You can roll your eyes about the rise in sea level, you can debate the impacts of climate change (if you are doing this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read the children's book Buried Sunlight by Penny Chisholm).  The man made systems that we seem to fight and bicker over so much are part of the problem and distract us from making any change or improvements in the status quo.  Whatever system it is, whether economic or political, they have either made us too complacent and comfortable to even think of change (yikes scary short term thinking).  Or they have created such levels of poverty that make life unbearable.  Or they have made a very few folks so rich that they see absolute no need for change, because well they are really really rich.  This must stop.  Lets work together to fix one thing, the place that we all live, and see what the rest look like after.  I know it can be done, because otherwise what are we fighting for really?  Everything else really be obsolete without our home, and I think that could be a great unifier.   To quote my hero John Lennon, IMAGINE.

Disclaimer: I know that this is extremely oversimplified look at natural and human systems, but hopefully it will spark some great discussion, and who knows what else.  Now vote for someone who seems to have this issue on their radar.

Call me lazy

Alright a few things, one I am not sure if I am "back" or not, and  two this post is less environmental and more a chest relieving exercise (you know getting something off my chest, I am a clever girl) so I will just get right too it.  I have been in a righteous mood (just ask the people I live with) the last few days dealing with what has become my new favorite catch phrase, first world problems.  Yes woe is me, and if you would like you may join in on my pity part, bring whatever party favors you like.  But as I listen to the news every morning I realizes how insane I am, and how unimportant my problems are, and I try to get over myself.  And then when I think about it I realize how lazy I am.  But maybe in this rare case lazy works.  As always I will try to get to the point.  Current events have become just a stream of bombs, blow ups, and shoot outs.  It is so sad that there is that much hate in the world to do all that stuff each other.  It is sad that we can focus so much on our made up differences (yeah I said made up) instead of focusing on our similarities.  I don't care where you are from, or what you look like, or what you believe.  I am just that lazy.  And it is not that I do not care about other people, I really really do, I am just too lazy to muster up enough energy to hate them because they do something I don't.  I feel like it takes way too much energy to hate, and aren't we supposed to be conserving energy right now (bam! just worked in the environment).
If you have ever traveled there are two things you most likely have noticed, one the modern world is very global and you can get the same crap in most parts of the world as you can get in your own home town (thanks giant corporations for taking over, I mean uniting), and two people everywhere need the same basic things to survive, water, shelter, food, clothing, and happiness.  So what if one culture puts a different spice in there food or wears a different article of clothing.  Enjoy it, because those differences are to be celebrated, and seem to be fading.  Oh and the other reason is because I am too lazy to dislike it.  Seriously people move on.  Stop blowing everyone up and stop blowing up at everyone.  Yeah you don't like what I do and I not super fond of what you are doing or saying, BUT WHO FREAKING CARES.  So I think we should (myself included) get over ourselves.  Deal with real problems, like those who do not have water or food (maybe due to climate changes, man I just brought it around full circle again) and stop creating more problems.  Stop focusing on differences, come on be lazy, save some energy so we can start fixing actual all world problems.  OK I feel better, and bit smaller, and more humbled in this giant ever expanding universe.  And I send out warm lazy wishes for some energy efficient world peace.