The thing about evolution that most folks just refuse to grasp is: it has nothing to do with progress. That is, one organism isn't any better than another organism within its particular environment. Equally rejected is the very simple principle that follows: all organisms are equally evolved, that is, we are no more evolved than the bacteria in our gut, or on our butt. We are not "more" evolved than chimps or monkeys or evolved from chimps or monkeys, we just share certain ancestors in common. I suspect, it is this equality that the non-believers can not accept; the idea that, not only are all humans created equal but all life exists equally and eventual extinction and replacement is common to all species.
There has been a trend to greater complexity as life has spread into previously unoccupied niches or expanded into existing niches with greater adaptation. But this isn't necessarily better. One hero of mine, Stephen Jay Gould, pointed out that, of all life forms on this planet, bacteria, the little animals that make us sick or makes our cheese, or actually is necessary for us to live, and lives in 10,000,000 other places, is currently the most successful form on the planet. Bacteria occupy some space in nearly every environment on the planet, from the deepest ocean, super heated water, upper atmosphere, certain subterranean soil formations, inside and on all other life forms except viruses and certain single cell organisms; they are just about everywhere. We, as an example, primarily occupy an extremely narrow band of the atmosphere about 12 feet thick and that over land. Infinitesimal compared to the successful realm of bacteria. And yet, as he would also remind us, in our essence we are also the same, we do the same things, we are just tubes that take food in on one end expel waste on the other and procreate. Only it appears that bacteria do it better.
Some folks say, well, we can think, use tools and build things and other good stuff. It might be good but it isn't true. Other forms think, especially mammals and I've always suspected trees do too. And many others use tools and certainly build things, architecturally and with engineered complexity that rivals, if not exceeds, our own. We don't even have the handle on destroying our environment. Some viruses seem to have the same bent of killing off all their hosts until the strain too dies off because it has no place to live.
Some folks say, well, we have God. I myself have two problems with that. The first is: I really feel other creatures have a sense of the majesty of life, creation if you please, perhaps even less confused and more fulfilling than our own. Why would they strive to keep living long after their usefulness to their species has finished? The second, the dominion thing…the exclusive communication thing, I think is proven false by evolution. All things are equal to their place in time.
But we do have a choice. Two other heroes, Harry Hay and John Burnside, both for courage, and Harry for his mind and drive and John for his spiritual sensitivity (though an equal intellect) reminded me often of that fact. John would frequently counsel me that we are half realized (at best) beings, that we must, those with conscious, strive to better ourselves to break free of our reptilian nature. It seemed to me he was saying we could break free of evolution, that conflict and competition could be replaced with compromise, fear could be replaced with understanding, that the wolf and the lamb were not metaphors for true humans. True humans would be people of spirit not burdened by difference but encouraged and joyful of difference. What gave his words force was his own demeanor. He was well on his way to becoming a true human.
I certainly view folks like Gandhi, or Einstein, or even Jesus or Buddha with awe and admiration. But, they are not of my time, they are already figures of myth and conjecture. I have little faith. I need to see and hear and best, if possible, touch, hug or hold my heroes.
Which brings to mind another hero of mine: Scott Ritter. Certainly the bravest person I have ever heard of, right up there with Gandhi or Jesus or Socrates or Harry Hay or Stephen Jay Gould. Have you ever thought about this guy? This fellow confronted a brutal dictator and lying treasonous president with bull dog tenacity, regardless of his personal safety. A fellow who suffered the slings and arrows of a corporate media determined to destroy him, labeling this great patriot a "traitor".
War criminals still infect the executive branch of government and possibly the congress and judicial branches. They are still lying and claiming "we didn't know" and folks still believe them, even, when Ritter's testimony showed the truth was clear, evident and available. And no parades or medals of freedom or Nobel prizes for this man of conviction and bravery who did everything within his power to stop the despicable murder of hundreds of thousands of people, many women and children by the American government and the American people.
Yes, at this point the blood is on our hands as well. Complacency IS complicity, that's what we said of the Germans and the Japanese, and it is true. We must honor Mr. Ritter by demanding the ouster of Bush and his cohorts. We must demand the congress stop the killing and turn the criminals over to the International Court of Justice, like we did Milosevic. We Americans must demand of our government that it acknowledge the rest of humanity and become a leader on the journey to becoming true humans and break the bonds of natural evolution.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
More Bad News and Stupid Smart Ideas
You might recall that a few months ago I raised the conjecture that the skinny whale syndrome might be the result of having to travel too far to reach traditional feeding grounds. Over the past weekend I have heard most Pacific coast scientists tend to concur with this hypothesis. Interestingly, it appears many pods are adapting to different foods and different locations to feed. Time will tell if this will be a successful adaptation for the species.
Of greater importance, though, is my conjecture concerning diminishing quantity of ice algae, "minute vegetable forms of exquisite beauty.”, correct? If so a substantial portion of the sea will be a virtual desert in short order. If this is so, numerous species that rely on this environment will be threatened. While the peregrinate gray whale might survive diminished, other species without the intelligence or adaptability will probably disappear. This includes all higher organisms that feed on benthic crustaceans with limited range, especially walrus and ringed seal which also form a substantial part of indigenous human diet.
I was also listening to NPR, James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia hypothesis, was talking about his idea to spur the oceans to capture large amounts of CO2. This guy is dangerous. His simplistic idea is compelling and worse saleable. He totally ignores the oceanic surface layer as an insulator wishing to force cold nutrient rich water to the surface, ironically heating it. He claims that the resulting algae bloom would be no different than those naturally occurring, of course, the natural ones are quite often toxic killing all life for hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles around.
But the worst aspect of this scheme is it is a symptomatic relief not a cure, mitigating one environmental disaster by creating another (which in my opinion would ADD to global warming) is frankly stupid. No technological idea no matter how much money it makes the oil companies and the schemers can replace conservation as the primary corrective feature. We simply have to stop creating CO2 and H2O as greenhouse gases AND stop heating the waters.
Of greater importance, though, is my conjecture concerning diminishing quantity of ice algae, "minute vegetable forms of exquisite beauty.”, correct? If so a substantial portion of the sea will be a virtual desert in short order. If this is so, numerous species that rely on this environment will be threatened. While the peregrinate gray whale might survive diminished, other species without the intelligence or adaptability will probably disappear. This includes all higher organisms that feed on benthic crustaceans with limited range, especially walrus and ringed seal which also form a substantial part of indigenous human diet.
I was also listening to NPR, James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia hypothesis, was talking about his idea to spur the oceans to capture large amounts of CO2. This guy is dangerous. His simplistic idea is compelling and worse saleable. He totally ignores the oceanic surface layer as an insulator wishing to force cold nutrient rich water to the surface, ironically heating it. He claims that the resulting algae bloom would be no different than those naturally occurring, of course, the natural ones are quite often toxic killing all life for hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles around.
But the worst aspect of this scheme is it is a symptomatic relief not a cure, mitigating one environmental disaster by creating another (which in my opinion would ADD to global warming) is frankly stupid. No technological idea no matter how much money it makes the oil companies and the schemers can replace conservation as the primary corrective feature. We simply have to stop creating CO2 and H2O as greenhouse gases AND stop heating the waters.
Monday, October 01, 2007
A Night at the Opera
I went to the symphony last night. The main performance was Orff’s Carmina Burana complete with a choir of nearly two hundred members. You might think this was a hokey cow-town performance: it was not.
I’m not familiar with Orff’s works. I suspect his overtly Germanic nature made him less than admired in my family, there seeming to be a correlation, the more popular a composer was with the Nazis the less liked around the kitchen table in Grandpa’s house. Wagner was never even suggested. The favored contemporary composer/musician was Fritz Kreisler, born an amalgam of Jewish and Catholic and the best violinist, perhaps ever. Mendelssohn (also a Jewish Catholic amalgam but by choice) was also well loved. But, Mahler was my favorite. I did enjoy the intellectual nature of Stravinsky, but my heart went to Mahler.
I’ve not really had the opportunity (or overwhelming desire) to see much live music in the past 25 years or so. I haven’t lived in a city or suburb ‘till recently. And orchestral music, though the force of my childhood, had faded into dreams, like my tricycle and my wagon, it seemed too small to carry my emotions through adulthood. I’ve now grown past that phase and it seems symphonic music is about to re-enter my life.
I greatly enjoyed the piece, it was nearly surreal…in fact, it was surreal. I think what Orff referred to as magical images were in actuality simply the distortions of realization. What 80 years of history have made clearer about the myth of Roman Germania is the same evil myth echoed in today’s American patriotism in its benevolence and murderous conquest.
What, of course, came about was the empathy for the exploited, the vision of the pay-offs and the guilt of enjoying this evening. Music especially that with human voice is inherently political, from conception to performance. Orchestral music is the most obvious and incongruous. Composers with voices in their heads having to kiss royal, political or religious ass, became literally reliant on whim for bread to eat. And musicians? Well, “you better not quit your day job” isn’t a modern expression. Musical expression, even today, is not permitted to go beyond what is politically acceptable or useful, or, obscurity and poverty await.
One might wonder how a very small city, 2500 miles from anywhere, can have world class music, even if it is fascist? Not too much thought brings images of tin barons in Bolivia or the opera house in the depths of the Mojave. The first words from the podium, “We thank Conoco/Phillips…” reminds us that Alaska is a colony, a resource colony, wholly owned and operated by the oil companies. We, like our brothers and sisters in the capitals of other colonies, enjoy the benefits of our owner’s excesses and desires…like symphony music and opera, fresh fruits and angus beef…provided we are the few lucky ones who can afford to emulate our keepers.
I’m not familiar with Orff’s works. I suspect his overtly Germanic nature made him less than admired in my family, there seeming to be a correlation, the more popular a composer was with the Nazis the less liked around the kitchen table in Grandpa’s house. Wagner was never even suggested. The favored contemporary composer/musician was Fritz Kreisler, born an amalgam of Jewish and Catholic and the best violinist, perhaps ever. Mendelssohn (also a Jewish Catholic amalgam but by choice) was also well loved. But, Mahler was my favorite. I did enjoy the intellectual nature of Stravinsky, but my heart went to Mahler.
I’ve not really had the opportunity (or overwhelming desire) to see much live music in the past 25 years or so. I haven’t lived in a city or suburb ‘till recently. And orchestral music, though the force of my childhood, had faded into dreams, like my tricycle and my wagon, it seemed too small to carry my emotions through adulthood. I’ve now grown past that phase and it seems symphonic music is about to re-enter my life.
I greatly enjoyed the piece, it was nearly surreal…in fact, it was surreal. I think what Orff referred to as magical images were in actuality simply the distortions of realization. What 80 years of history have made clearer about the myth of Roman Germania is the same evil myth echoed in today’s American patriotism in its benevolence and murderous conquest.
What, of course, came about was the empathy for the exploited, the vision of the pay-offs and the guilt of enjoying this evening. Music especially that with human voice is inherently political, from conception to performance. Orchestral music is the most obvious and incongruous. Composers with voices in their heads having to kiss royal, political or religious ass, became literally reliant on whim for bread to eat. And musicians? Well, “you better not quit your day job” isn’t a modern expression. Musical expression, even today, is not permitted to go beyond what is politically acceptable or useful, or, obscurity and poverty await.
One might wonder how a very small city, 2500 miles from anywhere, can have world class music, even if it is fascist? Not too much thought brings images of tin barons in Bolivia or the opera house in the depths of the Mojave. The first words from the podium, “We thank Conoco/Phillips…” reminds us that Alaska is a colony, a resource colony, wholly owned and operated by the oil companies. We, like our brothers and sisters in the capitals of other colonies, enjoy the benefits of our owner’s excesses and desires…like symphony music and opera, fresh fruits and angus beef…provided we are the few lucky ones who can afford to emulate our keepers.
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