Archive for the 'Environment' CategoryPage 2 of 3

Betty’s Pictures

Published
by
admin
on September 22, 2007
in Environment and Larks
. 0 Comments

Mista Masuda was dj-ing at Weller’s last night so I went along and pulled out my camera (as I do) and as I did so Betty was like “Let me play with that” so I did and she did and I’m not sure if she took all of these or if someone else was playing with it too but you know they didn’t turn out half bad.

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

* * *

Here’s a short film about Dugong. They so cute!

And here’s a site where you can take action to save the poor old sea-weed chompers.
TAKE ACTION

paved the Congo, put up a parking lot..

Published
by
admin
on April 19, 2007
in Environment and Music
. 0 Comments

It SEEMS the World Bank aint protecting our forests in the Congo. There are a lot cousins (gorillas, chimps and bonobos) feeling the pinch my friends. And cutting down our rainforests for short term profits… WELL! How do you feel about that? Do you think you could add your name to a letter asking them to pay more due care and attention to what they are funding? Hmm? I reckon it would take hmmm - 2 minutes tops. Or alternatively you could sniff it away thinking TOO BUSY! STUFF TO DO! TIRESOME etc… But I know you better. You won’t do that. You’re my friend. You like those bonobos. And the bonobos need you. Yeah?
Click here: PROTECT THE CONGO

Apt video:

Elsa Pataky

Published
by
admin
on March 22, 2007
in Books, Environment, Ireland and cherry blossom
. 0 Comments

The first warm day in a long time today. Hope it lasts. Obviously the cherry trees appreciate it. I saw my first cherry blossom of the season down by the Kamogawa today. It’s one of the earlier varieties so we have yet a while till blossom-viewing party-foolery begins. Here’s a couple of clickable pictures and a couple more of the 雪柳 “yukiyanagi” I like so much.

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

Here’s a book there’s a bit of a buzz around currently: What is the What by David Eggers and telling the true story of Valentino Achak Deng. It’s had some excellent write-ups and “all of the proceeds from “What is the What” will go to aiding the Sudanese in America and Sudan.” And in case you don’t know about the plight of the Sudanese, or you’ve only been paying (like most of us) half-a-mind to the GENOCIDE going on in the Sudan, here’s more detail of what those funds can do: REBUILDING MARIAL BAI. That aside it is apparently, a fantastic novel in it’s own right, based closely on the real life experiences of one of the child refugees (nicknamed the “Lost Boys”) who somehow survived warfare and starvation and are now trying to build new lives in America. Here’s what the writer of Throughlines has written: “…in all seriousness I can’t think of a more necessary book I’ve encountered in my lifetime. It’s a harrowing story, but it has moments of great beauty and lyricism as well, and I read it with steadily increasing respect both for Valentino Achak Deng and for Dave Eggers.” That’s by a guy who teaches literature for a living. Wow. So it’s both a great book and buying it will contribute to making the world a wee bit better…I’m going to order my copy immediately. The chance to feel morally and intellectually superior is irresistable.

Click here to get to VALENTINO ACHAK DENG’S WONDERFUL WEBSITE

Here’s something really cool too: “In March 2002 the Irish government introduced a PlasTax levy on single-use plastic carrier bags (including biodegradable ones.) The scheme has been an extraordinary success, with consumption down by a staggering 95%. Prior to the introduction of the levy annual carrier bag usage in Ireland stood at 1.2 billion. Although initally viewed with scepticism by retailers and the general public alike the PlasTax has come to be seen as hugely positive step with the investment of the funds raised through the tax in waste recycling and litter initiatives.”

Go Irish! There’s a petition here for the British government to do the same: BRING YOUR OWN BAG PETITION. More information about that here: BRING YOUR OWN BAG CAMPAIGN We could do with one those petitions in Japan, what with it being the UNNECESSARY AND WASTEFUL PACKAGING CAPITAL OF THE UNIVERSE (probably).

As for today’s title, I actually have nothing to say about Elsa Pataky and neither am I interested in her topless frolicking (well I am but I’ve repressed it)– I was just wondering if it would increase the number of pageviews I get if I used an internet buzzword in the title. Just a little (cynical) social experiment of mine.

Two Links

Published
by
admin
on March 2, 2007
in Environment
. 0 Comments

Sick of bad news? Well, here’s some possible good news from the Green My Apple campaign.

And here’s a short animation, you can watch and learn something interesting about cone snails.

Or you can just skip that and cut to the chase with some good advice here.

OK. That’s actually 3 links. Sorry.

Deep

Published
by
admin
on February 16, 2007
in Buddhism and Environment
. 0 Comments

Just a short one today. First news is that I think (after much searching, viewing and deliberating) - I’ve found a place to live. It’s near Nijo castle in an old machiya lane. Though an old traditional wooden house - it’s all nice and new and refurbished on the inside. I’m looking forward to moving in March and posting up some pictures/videos and filling you all with deep deep envy.

Next, I had some feedback (yay! feedback!) from the refreshingly intelligent chap I met yesterday, on the topic of yesterday’s meditation. Let me remind you, if you’ve forgotten, how it went:

人の世の_________Hito no yo no_________ In the world of men
幸不幸は________ kou fukou ha__________ happiness or sorrow
不思議のご縁_____ fushigi no goen_________ is but strange chance
よき出合いを______yoki deai wo__________ live for good encounters

Anyway, I was curious as to why the “deai” was written with 合 rather than the more usual 会. So, Mr. Tanaka wrote:

“出会い” is used to describe an opportunity where 2 or more persons meet, whereas “出合い” is used when 2 or more objects meet or join together. For example, when a tributary meets a main stream of a river, the place where they meet is described as the “Deai” of those rivers. They sound simple, don’t they? However, to my perception, it contains so much meaning, because the song at Houzouji is written for any object that exists in this world but it is a message to us all.

We are here as human beings, yet we are, simultaneously, something that is part of the nature. If we define ourselves as just an object which is no more different than the other substances/objects found in this current world, using “出合い” to wish for good encounters would be more suitable than using “出会い”.

Also, my wild guess goes to the point that the “出合い” may be indicating the fact that we are not in the control of which Go En “ご縁” to meet. Go En is something provided. Thus, “出合い” rather than “出会い” insinuates the idea that our life is not driven by ourselves but by someone/something else…

…I may be making the thing so complicated… but as a remark, “Everything will go smooth if you do not stick to it”, that I heard during the talk session conducted by one of the buddhist monks last year was reminded while I was thinking of the difference…

Thanks for that! HJ asked me today if the meditation meant that we should only strive to encounter good things but bearing in mind the above, I think perhaps it means we should strive to encounter the things we inevitably meet in a good way…

Finally, more rather worrying whaling news here. It seems we might be in for another one of those “oops! someone’s been a bit irresponsible!” oil-slick-enviromental-disasters. Goodbye penguins….　泣く

Solar Whales

Published
by
admin
on February 6, 2007
in Environment and Whales
. 0 Comments

You know, Japan is not all geisha girls, zen-monks, sushi/sashimi, deeply perverted salarymen and difficult junior high school students (why did I just lump those two together?). Oh, no! There’s more clichés to it than that! Why, it’s “hi-tech” too, right? Although, I usually experience Hi-Tech-Nippon when I buy a new mobile phone, or digital camera, it just so turns out that Japan is the world leader in solar power technology. In fact Japan wants 10% of its energy to come from solar power in 2030… Marvellous! And what’s marvellouser: a company called Kyosemi, (right here in Kyoto folks!) is revolutionizing solar-power technology through the innovative use of tiny spherical solar cells capable of absorbing sunlight at any angle! There’s a very interesting article on it over at worldchanging.com which I just read (and so now I feel very clever). You can read the interview with Yoshinobu Tsujikawa, a leading engineer and assistant to the President at Kyosemi Corporation here.

Some of the exciting possibilities discussed are the integration of solar cells with other building materials to harness solar energy, and the use of this technology for small, low power applications such as portable consumer electronics and more altruistic applications. (Kyosemi has produced hearing aids for indigenous people in Africa. These clever little solar-powered devices transmit audio vibrations via bone in the ear canal!) And other possible applications “include crop monitoring in agriculture, site security, handicapped access, and visitor way-finding…”.

To be honest a lot of it is over my head: “Have you heard of ubiquitous computing? I heard the word “pervasive” is more popular in the West, but we Japanese like “ubiquitous.” But I have to admit the idea of all these Japanese egg-heads, beavering away at world-saving technologies thrills me to pieces.

And I have to say Mr. Tsujikawa’s final words charmed the pants off of me “Currently we are focused on providing energy necessary for life, but eventually we hope to enter the realm of art.”

Oh, and I found this. It’s a nice, non-confrontational, informative series of videos seeking a deeper understanding of Japan’s relationship with the mighty whale. This is just the teaser. I’ll keep on posting more until the music drives me completely nuts.

Whale-love Wagon Teaser

What I Do

Published
by
admin
on January 31, 2007
in Environment and Teaching
. 0 Comments

This is what we do at work:Actually, I woke up this morning thinking “Oh crap. Wednesday. Four lessons. And three of them are Junior High 3rd years. Oh crap.” And then, do you know, I had a very nice day. All my classes were really nice (noisy, but nice) and one student said to me “How come your Japanese is so good?” And that really cheered me up because I met a very rude (and fat, and ugly) man at the weekend who made a big point of saying to all and sundry how very very rubbish he thought my Japanese was. I expect he has emotional problems of his own (being fat and ugly and having no manners might have something to do with that). So thank you Ayaha in 3:1, you made my day.

This article filled me with wild delight when I read it this morning. Since childhood, I’ve always felt it very sad that Britain no longer has the big charismatic beasties so common in the myth-laden forests of our fairy-tales. Though I expect I’d have slightly less romantic notions if I went camping and found one in my tent one morning gnawing at my leg, if it’s good for the eco-system and the farmers get compensated I say bring the wolves back!

Here’s another one of those important (yet all too impersonal) circulars from Jonathan Bond.

Everyone on this little housing estate of ours in Greenwich has invested a lot of time and effort trying to get their voices heard. We’re very close to victory, but we need as many people as possible to sign our online petition, as soon as possible (ie before 10 February). Please visit:

http://www.petitiononline.com/vpera001/petition.html

If you agree, sign it, then send the link to everyone you think will support us, as soon as you can. Lots of love jonathan

Yet another example of corporate greed and irresponsibility! Fight it folks! Fight it!

Two Minutes to Midnight

Published
by
admin
on January 18, 2007
in Environment and Music
. 0 Comments

Not much to say today, except… WE’RE ALL DOOMED!!! Which we all suspected anyway, but now the world’s top scientists have made it official. Huzzah!

What kind of music would you listen to at a Doomsday Countdown Party? I’d want to hear this for sure:

Brutalised Tree

Published
by
admin
on November 9, 2006
in Environment
. 0 Comments


While I was out at work today (slaving) some workmen came and brutalised the tree outside my window. Look what they’ve done to it! They do this every sodding year just before the trees have a chance to enter their autumn finery. And it’s not just the trees outside my window. IT’S ALL OVER JAPAN. The Japanese have a horrible relationship with nature (of which this is but one example) and they regard falling autumn leaves as an untidy nuisance. A nuisance! What’s with that?

Pretty soon more workmen will be moving up and down Imadegawa Street and Shirakawa Street and stripping the glorious golden crowns off of the gingko trees, leaving only sad stumpy maimed twiggy things like the thing on the left. That’s what they leave us to look at till late spring when the trees finally get over the shock of this abuse.
It breaks my heart.

It’s at times like these that I feel the need for dancing pandas.

And this video, below, made me laugh (quite a bit).

Ancient Forests

Published
by
admin
on November 8, 2006
in Environment
. 0 Comments

I can’t be bothered blogging today, so watch this video:

Make sure the wood and paper products you buy have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. And then, when you’ve done that, click on this.