Month: April 2022

An Immodest Proposal

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Consider the benefit of turning Iowa into one giant field! Nothing between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers — and nothing between the states of Missouri and Minnesota — but corn and beans!

The practical steps to accomplishing this might seem large. But since we’re already well on our way, a little bold thinking reveals a pathway.

First (as our pioneer forefathers and foremothers had to do), we must “clear the land.” Thankfully, this doesn’t require killing or displacing any Indigenous populations. Some native Iowans will have to move, but more on that later. Continue Reading →

Earth Day, 2014: A Mediterranean meal in a Quonset hut

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On April 22, Earth Day, we arrive at the home of Mark Boyko and Karen Abbott near Concho. They graciously offer us a two-day break from wilderness camping. Like many people in eastern Arizona they live off the grid, their home powered entirely by solar and wind energy. We find ample space to pitch our tents, yet due to the howling wind and cold temperatures, Mark and Karen let marchers sleep in their spacious Quonset hut. They also invite us to use their shower.

Lala prepares the best meal of the March: a multi-course, Mediterranean-style dinner featuring ratatouille, baba ganoush, tabouleh, falafel, and hummus. Continue Reading →

Stop spraying mosquitoes

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SKEETERS (2-minute mark). Check with your city and/or county officials to find out if they provide an opt-out to spraying. Better yet, encourage them to pursue other options. To be clear, we SHOULD take action to control mosquito populations when they pose a genuine threat in residential areas. We can do that by removing standing water, putting up bat or purple martin houses, covering exposed skin, and applying eco-friendly bug spray.

URANIUM (25-minute mark). There’s one active uranium mill in the US, and it’s located next to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe where it poses a major threat to the community’s health, water, land, and heritage sites. I recently learned of the problem from a friend who gave me the November, 2021 issue of High Country News. As is typical with incidents of environmental injustice, public officials have been mostly unresponsive to concerns raised by the Ute people.

MY WINTER IN NOVA SCOTIA (36-minute mark). In my early twenties, I spent a winter in the wilds of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, living alone in a house on the edge of the highlands with no bathroom, running water, or electricity. My lone heat source was a wood stove. A giant sled dog and psychotic horse were my primary companions. Everything about the experience was fantastic — until someone burned down the outhouse. Continue Reading →

Don’t Get Fooled Again

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Y’all know the song, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” by The Who? Any time Big Oil reps flap their yappers, that song should be playing in our heads.

Big Oil. The industry Rachel Maddow calls “the richest, most destructive industry on Earth.” The industry that, thanks to Exxon Mobile, made Russia the deadly oil-and-gas powerhouse it is today. The industry that lied to us repeatedly about the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Make no mistake: The primary force behind this mad rush to build 60,000 miles of CO2 pipeline is Big Oil (specifically Continental Resources, Valero, Black Rock, Wolf). Consistent with its past track record, Big Oil is lying about CO2 pipelines. Continue Reading →