Environment Under-covered...

Has anyone else noticed that the media does not provide sufficient coverage of environmental news, given the importance of the environment to our lives? The mainstream broadcast media and press are getting a bit better at covering conservation stories than they used to be, now that “green” awareness is more widespread, but they are not doing enough, given the plethora of environmental issues facing our society.

While stories about global warming and renewable energy are becoming more common, how often do you see stories in the mainstream media about, for example, public lands management issues like mining, grazing, logging, or wilderness designation? Have you ever seen a report on the point- and non-point sources of air pollution in your region? When was the last time you saw a feature on a water issue such as factory farm runoff, the effects of discarded pharmaceuticals on stream ecology, the loss of wetlands, or the threats to riparian areas?

When I scan through the magazines I get from environmental groups, I frequently note that only a few of the stories they cover, stories that affect our lives, get mainstream attention. How are we as a society to make informed decisions about our environment when most people know very little about the human activities that impact it?

Those of us who care about the environment can help rectify this. All you have to do is email or phone your local or national news outlet and notify reporters when there is an important environmental story to tell. You can also send a letter to the editor or producer, to compliment them when they do cover an environmental issue, and express your disappointment when they don’t.

The joy of singing...

Some people seem to think that only practiced singers can be good singers. I understand their point: people who don’t know how to control their voices often sound amateurish. But what’s wrong with that? Amateurs have been making joyful noises since time immemorial.

I have a degree in musical theater, so I am a trained vocalist. But I don’t always want to use my best voice. Sometimes I just want to sing for the pleasure of making sounds. I believe that if I am truly expressing emotion, it will be conveyed to the listener. Even if I don’t sound pretty or polished, at least I’ll sound sincere.

Whether or not a listener likes someone’s singing is, to some extent, a matter of taste. If the singer is out of tune or has no rhythm, I can see how it might be unpleasant or even downright painful to listen to. But I’ve heard many people with untrained voices sing, and it usually makes me happy to hear them. Many famous singers have unique voices that aren’t necessarily beautiful, but are interesting.

Music is such a vital part of the human experience. It allows us to express heightened emotions when words do not suffice. I would guess that most tribal cultures expect everyone to sing at gatherings, and when they raise their voices together, a rich sound emerges. Song should not be thought of as a realm reserved for good singers. We are all entitled to make music. Maybe if more people were encouraged to sing, the world would be a better place.

An unabashed birder...

I love birds. They are such amusing feathered creatures, and each species has its own particular beauty. Their flight captures our imagination, and their songs enliven our surroundings. But why did I become obsessed with them?

I think that many of us who are birders have a general interest in seeing and watching all types of wildlife, especially large, furry ones. But these “charismatic megafauna” are hard to come by in our daily lives, or even in most forays into natural areas these days. Birds, on the other hand, can be found nearly everywhere, even in the middle of the largest city.

Until I became a park ranger-naturalist when I was 24, I paid little, if any, attention to birds. I hardly noticed they were there. I thought that only a few different species existed – the ones I’d seen at backyard bird feeders, like cardinals, sparrows and pigeons. But when visitors on my nature walks asked me the names of the birds we saw, I had to say I didn’t know. So I felt obligated to learn them.

I got a field guide and binoculars, and went out bird-watching. At first, many bird species looked very similar, until I learned to notice subtle differences in body size, bill length, tail length, etc. Over time, I began to want to see birds I hadn’t yet checked off my checklist. And the obsession began.

Years later, I have now seen hundreds of bird species, but there are still many I’d like to see. Some people scorn the activity of “listing” as mere sport, and indeed some birders do seem to be in it merely for winning the imaginary title of “most birds seen”. It’s not important to me that I see a certain number of species, but I do enjoy the challenge of observing birds closely (including listening to their calls) and identifying them.

Birding forces me to go out into nature and pay close attention to everything around me. It forces me to slow down and be patient. And when I come to a place that has a large quantity and diversity of birds, I sense that place to be biologically healthy. The more of these bird-rich areas I find, the more hope I have that all creatures on earth will survive, and that humans will continue to be able to enjoy the high quality of life that a healthy environment provides.

Environmental Town...

Tucson, Arizona seems to be the chosen home of many well-known environmentalists. The most famous of them all is probably the late Edward Abbey (the author of “The Monkey Wrench Gang” and many other books), but he is by no means alone. Among the other current or former residents are “eco-warrior” Dave Foreman, cofounder of the Earth First! movement and the Rewilding Institute; Barbara Kingsolver, author of many successful books including a recent one about eating locally-grown food; Pulitzer Prize-winning nature photographer Jack Dykinga; and nature writer/journalist Charles Bowden, who was apparently a good friend of Abbey.

Many environmental organizations seem to favor Tucson for their headquarters as well. They include the Center for Biological Diversity, the Wildlands Network (formerly the Wildlands Project) cofounded by Michael Soulé and Dave Foreman, and The Earth First! Journal. And then there’s the scientific research project Biosphere II, “the largest closed (ecological) system ever created”.

Why has Tucson become one of the “environmental capitals” of the U.S.? Well, I have a few theories:

• We have a large university that breeds a lot of highly educated people who are well-informed on environmental issues.
• There are a plethora of outdoor opportunities around Tucson, and many environmentalists are nature-lovers to begin with.
• Tucson tends to be fairly culturally diverse, arts-friendly, and laid back, and it seems that many environmentalists prefer to live in this type of atmosphere.
• Tucson isn’t so big that groups get lost in the shuffle, yet it isn’t so small that group members don’t have access to the many amenities of city life.
• The climate is mild in the winter, whereas in many other cities with the characteristics mentioned above, in winter it can be hard to conduct business and hold meetings.

I feel fortunate to live in this hotbed of environmentalism, among so many environmental activists.

Thrift Stores…

Here in Tucson, we have about three dozen retail stores selling used goods. In Midtown, along Speedway Boulevard between Craycroft Road and Swan Road, you will find a concentration of them, with Goodwill, the Speedway Outlet, 1st Rate 2nd Hand, and Play It Again Sports all near each other. Whenever I need something, I try these thrift shops first, not only because things tend to cost much less there, but because I care about the environment and try to reuse and recycle things that others have discarded, rather than buy items made from raw, non-renewable natural resources.

Another advantage of used clothing stores is that you can usually find a wide range of fashions from many periods, including classic looks that never go out of style, whereas in stores selling new clothing, the colors and cuts are usually limited to the current trends, some of which I find horrendously unattractive.

Some of my recent resale shop purchases include:

1. A like-new 12” tall stuffed teddy bear for $2; it would have cost at least $10 new.
2. A like-new pair of gorgeous Tommy Hilfiger heels for $20; they would have cost over $100 new.
3. An Ann Taylor soft leather handbag in perfect condition for $20; it went for about $150 new.
4. A Panasonic VCR with remote control for $10; I don’t think they even sell these in appliance departments anymore.
5. A bag with a dozen miscellaneous butter knives in it for $2. I was running low on butter knives, and it doesn’t bother me if they don’t match (in fact, I kind of like the eclectic look), so they have proved very helpful.
6. A three-ring binder for 50 cents; these can anywhere from $3 to $15 in office supply stores.

A Few Tips:

• I keep a list of things I’d like to buy in my wallet, and when I go to a thrift store, I check to see if any of them are for sale.
• I can sometimes find really nice gifts (for people whom I don’t think will mind receiving something that isn’t new). For example, if someone I know collects something, there are often unique little trinkets to add to their collection.
• I also look out for things that could be raffled off by groups I belong to, to help them raise funds. Every year the Tucson Audubon Society (a group that protects birds and their habitats) holds a silent auction at their annual holiday party. I have donated unusual bird art prints and antiques that I’ve bought at thrift stores, at a bargain, just for that purpose.
• Very often, while browsing, I’ll notice something I that didn’t come in for but that I really like. It might be a carved wooden duck decoy, or a colorful throw pillow, or an unusual kitchen utensil. And the prices are so low! However, I try not to do too much impulse buying, because I’m trying to keep my possessions and house clutter to a somewhat manageable level.
• Some people feel that these stores are dirty. While they may occasionally smell a bit like – well – used stuff, most of the time I don’t notice an unpleasant odor at all. Still, it’s always a good idea to wash used clothing before you wear it, just to make sure it’s clean.

When you shop at Goodwill in particular, you support a non-profit organization that helps people with disadvantages or disabilities to find work and better their lives. When you shop at nearly any thrift store, you are supporting a local business and thus the local economy.

So, if you haven’t “shopped used”, give it a try!

Fatigue…

I have been struggling with fatigue for years now, and my doctor and I still don’t know why I am so frequently drowsy. I’m not constantly tired, but throughout the day, at unpredictable times, my body and mind get weak, and I can’t do anything. I have to lie down. It’s frustrating, because there are so many things I want to do, but I have to sleep so much. And I tend to avoid making plans or commitments, because I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to keep them.

There are various possible reasons for this fatigue:

1. Perhaps I have “adrenal fatigue” (not an accepted diagnosis by mainstream medicine). I would attribute this to long periods of high stress I have had throughout the years. Although I am not currently very stressed, cortisol levels have not recovered.
2. Perhaps I am not getting enough REM sleep. Some prescription medicines can delay the onset of REM sleep, and this would mean I’m not getting into that deep sleep period as much as I should.
3. Maybe it’s psychological? Maybe I’m getting drowsy because I don’t want to do what I’m about to do, or I’m subconsciously conserving my energy because I’m afraid of getting tired later. But I doubt it.
4. Maybe I’m anemic. In the past year I purposely haven’t eaten much animal protein at all (more on that later), and I stopped eating red meat while I was in college. Blood tests have at times shown my iron and B12 levels (and D levels) to be below normal. I take daily B12 and D supplements, and I try to eat iron-rich foods, but maybe I’m not eating enough of them.
5. Maybe I’m just out of shape. Maybe if I exercised more regularly, I’d build up my stamina.
6. Maybe I eat too much sugar, and my body is having a hard time processing it. Sometimes, before I take a nap, I “gorge” on chocolate, which seems to relax me.

Evolving…

The primary imperative of all living things, including humans, is to survive and perpetuate their species. Species are able to continue through natural selection and survival of the fittest -- those that adapt to changing conditions have a better chance of surviving. Adaptation involves changing either physical characteristics or behavior. I believe that we should all strive to behave in a way that betters ourselves as individuals, and the world as a whole, if we want to increase our chances of surviving as a species.

Humans are just animals, but we have advanced brains that can override our primitive reactions. We have not used our intelligence to its full potential. It is time to reassess how best to continue our species. Will we make our decisions based on emotions or on reason? Humans are conscious beings; we do have feelings and natural instincts, but we can discipline ourselves to consider our future in every decision we make.

We can choose to behave like beasts or like humans.