Blogging from the Bog

   What started out as school project a few years ago has grown into an international effort of creativity, forward thinking, and co-operation among individuals and groups with a view to the future.  Not satisfied with the rhetoric of government, big business, or doomsday theorists these visionaries are proactively making a concerted effort to prepare their communities for the inevitable.  They are not passing judgement, they are not getting entangled in spurious debates or mudslinging, and they are not promising miracles.  They are creating Transition Towns.

   In 2005 Rob Hopkins was teaching a class in the world’s first two-year program of permaculture at a college in Kinsale, County Cork a seaside community on the southern coast of Ireland.  Permaculture, in theory and practice, is the idea of sustainable living and as part of his lecture series Hopkins showed the movie The End of Suburbia to his class.  At a time when the price of oil was still around the $35 per barrel stage the implications of peak oil were not lost on the students and a proposal was drafted designing the Transition Town concept.  The cleaner, greener, community based initiative was adopted by the Kinsale Town Council as proposed by student Louise Rooney and the project was underway.

   The Transition Town concept is becoming more and more relavent, as the price of oil is now $135 a barrel, and deals with how communities will adapt, adjust, and flourish despite being faced with declining natural resources, rising fuel and energy prices or shortages, and climate change.  There are currently 50 towns actively participating in this project and hundreds of others contemplating the idea of getting involved.  Is your town or city considering the prospect?  Check this list of communities around the globe.

   A quote from Rob Hopkins’ website reads, "We are communities, a society, a world in transition, and to do that we need a culture of transition, but also we need the tools for manifesting it."  Indeed we do Rob, indeed we do.

Rob

   In our globalised economy and lifestyle many things have changed here in Ireland.  The increase in discretionary income has allowed for more frequent travel, a larger variety of exotic food and beverages on our grocery shelves, and some changes in our consumption patterns.  One notable item features high on our new shopping list, wine, the Irish are now in love with the nectar of the vine. 

   Amid all the controversy with global warming, fuel prices, and a slumping world economy the French wine growers, Irish truckers, UK and Scottish fisherman, and others around Europe are reacting to rising costs, EU controls and dwindling profits by holding strikes, slow downs and riots.  Is this a sign of the times and a preview of what is to come?  Or, will we take a pro-active stance, adapt as humans are capable of, and rise to the challenges we face as we approach peak oil?

   In late July a ship will quietly leave a dock in France bound for Irish shores, it’s hold will contain 12,000 bottles of wine for the thirsty Irish market, and it will be using free fuel.  A three-masted schooner, the Kathleen & May, is scheduled to deliver her cargo to the Dublin port on the 25th of July.  Over one hundred years old, the sailing vessel is one of many operated by the Compagnie de Transport Maritime a la Voile, and according to company executives will save nearly 5 ounces of carbon emissions per bottle. 

   Will we again see horse drawn wagons and a return of the canal barges in Dublin?  We can only hope! 

   On Friday the European Union instructed member countries to tighten border security.  The new policies will include fingerprinting and screening of all visitors, including North Americans, Africans and others coming to European countries and will cost several billion dollars.

   Nicolas Sarkozy will take over the leadership position of the EU on the first of July and is making "border management" and immigration policies some of his top priorities.  Other items on Sarkozy’s plan for Europe include boosting Europe’s military defences and energy security.  The Lisbon Treaty may be dead but the agenda behind it is not.

   Satellite tracking will be used to monitor "illegal immigrants" and many believe privacy and human rights abuses could result.  Will this have any effect on tourism?  Will our visitors appreciate the Cead Mille Failte after they are photographed, fingerprinted, and processed?

   We got back into Trim a little later than I hoped as our gracious innkeeper had suggested a bit of live music was going on that Monday night at Griffin’s in the town.  Hurrying passed the ancient castle, where some of the scenes from the movie Braveheart were filmed, we came upon a very quiet town, all the pub doors were closed and silent.  Things were not looking good.  We turned a couple of corners on the empty street and found Griffin’s, the door was slightly ajar so in we went.

   The place was packed and there was a great buzz of activity, lucky for us the barmen were still serving, so I doubled our drink order (just in case) while the others checked the rooms out.  They found a table next to a fireplace and right in front of the band, so the four of us settled down to a table full of pints.  The musicians were quenching their thirsts too and seemed in no hurry to get the instruments tuned so we got a chance to chat a bit about our good luck and take a few snaps.  Those keen Meath men were not long in sussing out the situation and began a session that would delight any tourist.  Banjo, mandolin, accordian and guitar rang out and voices from stage and audience sang the songs.

   More pints kept arriving as if from thin air (the girls adapted quickly to the Irish system of buying rounds), and the music was brilliant.  Most of the songs were familiar but some were not, all were entertaining.  As the banter between the crowd, the band and us became easy and familiar it began to seem as if time were standing still and we were at a party with old friends.  It was a great night, our innkeeper was right.  Gerry Tully was the guitar player and sang most of the songs, as luck would have it Gerry has a website and has posted some of his music on the Net, you can catch him at Griffin’s most Monday or Wednesday nights.  All the best Gerry, thanks for the great show, and good luck with the new album!

   There’s nothing like a fine day in the Big Smoke so we made a brief visit to the city one afternoon.  Our aim was to get an early start in the morning for Newgrange and the Hill of Tara so Trim seemed like an advantageous place to stay overnight.  We checked into our lodgings at the White Lodge B&B and headed for Dublin, by bus, no designated driver needed!

   We made our way down by Custom House Quay where the replica of the Jeanie Johnston is sometimes moored, I gave a brief description and history about the original vessel and hoped that she was in.  She was.  What I didn’t tell my tourists was that Rowan Gillespie’s larger-than-life Famine Memorial (pictured) would greet them as we crossed over to the waterside.  It is an emotional sight no matter how many times you might visit it; but, to come upon it unexpectedly for the first time can have a tremendous impact, and it did.

   The onshore breezes seemed a bit chillier as we crossed one of the many bridges and headed towards the city, so I thought it was about time the girls got properly introduced to the Irish antidote for the chills.  The Hot Whiskey!  No better place than Fitzgerald’s on Aston Quay, and Fitzgerald’s is, without a doubt, the best spot in Dublin for hot whiskies and Irish Stew, we were not disappointed.

   Our next stop, Temple Bar, was right around the corner.  Temple Bar is a cultural area in the inner city that has markets, street performers, restaurants, and of course pubs, one of which is called The Temple Bar, go figure!  Treading along the cobblestones we listened to the musicians, visited the shops, took some photos, and worked up a mighty thirst!  It wasn’t long before we were settled in nicely at The Temple Bar, each with a pint of black, one for the road so-to-speak.

   This short visit to the fair city was coming too soon to an end but we were at the mercy of Bus Eireann.  We went by the Ha’penny Bridge, over to O’Connell Street, saw a few statues, the GPO, and the spire on our way to the bus station.  It had been a long trip and an eventful day, little did we know then that it was only half over or what was waiting for us in Trim!

   There was nothing but blue skies and fine weather this past month for our journey around Ireland.  The one or two afternoons of misty rain were almost like special effects put on for our benefit when visiting some of the ancient sites and monuments and only enhanced the experience.  We took the time to take in some of the local flavour and colour whenever we could and met some interesting characters as well as visiting the major tourist attractions. 

   It’s a busy time of the year around here in the bog and although I’ve settled back in after the experience my blogging will be somewhat sporatic in the next while but I will be posting soon about some of the places and the people we met along the way.  It was a delight to play host to my American visitors and to catch up with all that has happened over the years with them.  If they had half as good a time as I did they will be very happy indeed with their holiday here.

   To Mona, Jody, and Cheryl who were such good travelling companions, conversationalists, and drinking partners, "Slainte!"

   The European Union has promised to give the corrupt government of Sudan €400 million for "humanitarian aid".  It was only a year ago that Sudan’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Ahman Muhammed Harun, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for funding and arming the Janjaweed militia who in turn brutalised Sudanese citizens in Darfur.  Harun is currently a fugitive from justice as the Sudanese government refuses to act on the ICC warrants for arrest.  Yeah Europe, keep sending them money!

   Two days later a rebel group, the JEM, attacked government forces in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, in a bid to overthrow the despots.  What the hell is the European Union doing, in our name, propping up this corrupt and criminal gang who have caused all the trouble in Darfur that the EUFOR Army is risking their lives to control?

   I can’t wait til June so I can vote yes for more of this feckin’ nonsense!

 Harun

   Ten days after the 13th annual Iranian Oil Show, the government, led by President Ahmadinejad, has announced that it will no longer be accepting US dollars when selling it’s oil.  Deals struck before and during the show have solidified Iran’s position on the global stage as the 4th largest oil producer, while the Oil Minister called the US dollar "worthless paper" and announced his country will be dealing in Euro and Yen for future sales.  This news does not bode well for the weakening US economy nor will it help with Ireland’s celtic meltdown.

   This move comes as no great surprise as it allows Iran to sidestep trade sanctions, imposed by the US, over it’s nuclear ambitions and will give Iran a "bonus benefit" from it’s oil sales while divesting itself of weak dollars.  Trade and investment projects with countries like India, Russia, and Venezuela will guarantee Iran’s influence in global oil markets.  Chavez, of Venezuela, has already toyed with the idea of replacing petro-dollars with euros and his close association with Iran could embolden his attempts to renew a euro-petrol policy.

   Iran has oil and lots of it, what they don’t want is dollars, will they convince OPEC to dump the US dollar too?

   Nearly 40 years ago Alvin Toffler wrote a sociological discourse in the form of a book called Future Shock, and although I read it some time back with only casual interest, these two themes have stuck with me:  data overload, and too much change too soon.  What way will our lives, cultures, and societies deal with and change during this age of informational and technological onslaught?  What role does affluence, globalisation, and the internet play in the evolution of our species?

   We like to consider ourselves social creatures; but, how social are we becoming?  Where once we banded together in groups or clans who shared the tasks, joys, and disappointments of day to day life we have now become independent, isolated, and intolerant of others.  It is becoming evident by recent news that we cannot handle stress, financial pressures, or misfortune without acting out in violence and abuse or some other offensive/defensive manner.

   The family is of course the basic social group or clan and instead of building on that solid structure it seems to be diminishing in importance to this new human.  Are the successes of Social Networking sites the proof that there is a void in our need to belong? somewhere, anywhere?  I wonder.  Once we have acquired some wealth, or in the process of seeking it, we tend to leave those who have nurtured us, taught us, and shared our burdens.  Do we spend the rest of our lives in search of that sense of belonging? 

   A wealthy, well travelled, and high-tech populace is growing on all continents and within all cultures.  We can communicate instantaneously to all regions of the earth and physically travel to any point on the globe within 24 hours.  We may take these marvels for granted today; but, this is only a recent phenomenon in human history.  Toffler’s future is our present.  How will we change or adapt to handle these changes?  Euro Yank offers the theory that Eastern and Western cultures are fundamentally different in that the West focuses on the independence of man while the East is more concerned with the interdependence of man.  Will one culture surpass the other in it’s ability to adapt?  Or, will the cultures of the world become more homogenous and grow so much alike as to become indistinguishable from one another?

   What price will technology extract from the social, cultural, and emotional qualities of human nature?

   Is there an idea, concept or belief that is more valuable than a human life?  Are ideas, concepts, or beliefs, even considered reality?

   Throughout history we have heard of people risking and losing their lives for ideals and principles; but, these were people who were able to rationalise for themselves what the consequences and outcomes might be.  What is the proper consideration for us to take with regards to people who are not competent, who may be children, or even infants?

   There was a discussion on this very topic at Ash’s place over at Into the Rabbit Hole as to what the community responsibility should be when an eleven year old girl was allowed to die because her parents refused to get her the medical care she needed to live.  At what point does a person have a unique presence on this earth and the right to life?  In the womb? at birth? at eighteen or twenty-one?  If pre-natal abortions can be legalised how about post-natal ones?  The threat of post-natal abortions would go a long way in controlling the Anti-Social Behaviour problem with modern teenagers wouldn’t it?  *that was sarcasm ok?*

   There is a case here in Ireland that will be heard in the court system within the next few days.  Parents of unborn twins are trying to prevent medical intervention and blood transfusions, that doctors feel necessary to save the childrens lives, because of their beliefs.  In this country, I believe, that the State can intervene and declare the newborns to be Wards of the State because of the sanctity of life provisions within the Constitution and in doing so can approve of any necessary medical treatment regardless of the parents wishes.  Would it be morally feasible to have the courts allow the medical staff to treat the infants while they are still in the womb?

   Should we as a community take the responsibility to care for each and every life even if it goes against the wishes of the parents?