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leander37's comments:

on Where Bikes and Cars Intersect

"It is hard to care anymore about the plight of the cyclist..." I'll remember that one and be sure to ride a bit more carefully!

We all need to care about the plight of others! Each person on a bike that you see is a human being with a family, friends, etc.

I get to work every day on a bike. I am not a "cyclist," just a regular guy riding.

But for the number of times I've been cut off, pushed over, and generally threatened by drivers, you can bet that I ride aggressively.

I cannot predict who carries animosity ~ automobiles are by their design very insulative vehicles. A car drivers' rush, frustration, and general distaste may be a life/death situation for me.

And all I need to know is that 1/10 of drivers share such a spiteful attitude towards those who choose bikes as transportation that they are willing to put my life in danger that I will ride and act accordingly.

posted 5 years ago
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on The Yellow Starthistles Are Coming!

I was quite troubled while watching "The Silent Invasion" last night. While I appreciate the concern of habitat specialists regarding the loss of weaker indigenous species to aggressive invaders from the outside, I am more troubled by the aggressive tactics - such as the pesticide-eradication of Spartina - which are given prominent coverage.

To paraphrase Einstein, we can't solve ecological problems by emulating the very methods which have created them in the first place. Rampant ecological destruction has left native species hanging by threads. Denuded landscapes are ripe for colonization by more hearty, agressive "weeds."

The Permaculturist optimist in me considers that weeds may actually be setting the stage for ecological reparation via successor species. The realist, and reader of Planet of Weeds by David Quammen, recognizes that, in fact, "Homo sapiens itself is the consummate weed."

To hear dam operators at Lake Mead complain about a destructive mussel is like hearing a slave master complain that he can't stand to hear his chattel scream. Lake Mead represents one of the most destructive of humankind's tendencies ~ to subjugate entire ecosystems and watersheds to do our bidding. Perhaps this is a story too large to fit within the "Invasive Species" question, but sometimes we must ask ~ are we acting like an invasive species ourselves?

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on Housing Ripples

Thank you for your response. As a homeowner, I certainly appreciate the hardship that this downturn is creating - especially for those with debt who have lost their jobs, but I can't help but hear about slowing housing activity ~ especially starts ~ with a fair amount of relief for the health of our planet and its ecosystems. Our great task now is to become prosperous again without inflicting such vast destruction through extraction and expansion. We can be small, efficient, renewable, and prosperous. We must redefine wealth in order to ensure the continued coexistence of humans and the rest of life on earth.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on How Does Your Garden Grow?

I recommend that you don't resort to Roundup where you currently have weeds. While Roundup is considered one of the milder herbicides (when used as indicated), it distances you from the interaction with your soil, land, and existing plants. Start by learning about what is growing. Some of what you call weeds may be native species, and some may be invasive. Some may be overgrown beneficial plants. The "weeds" in your garden, if nothing else, are indicating fertility in your soil - count them as a blessing! You can work with them, crowd them out, or pull them and make compost. Start to learn about your garden and nurture it over time to grow naturally. I recommend a technique like Lazy-Bed gardening so you can develop a garden which over time requires less maintenance, not more. Resorting to chemicals will set you on the path of "chemical dependency," meaning more work, more money, and worst of all, more chemicals.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on How Does Your Garden Grow?

It has certainly been cold, and the cover crop of clover that I optimistically planted in February has been struggling...

One issue I wanted to bring up for the show is the possibility of a shifting pattern of invasive species as the warming trend continues. I have heard that some of the ornamental grasses - especially that tall one with the brush-like top - could become invasive as the Oregon climate begins to resemble its home climate.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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on An Internet Speed Limit?

I caught only bits and pieces of the on-air show, but I am surprised to see no mention of Metrofi here in the comments. I am a current user of Metrofi from my home. I read the news anxiously each week as it seems that this system is hanging by a thread. All it took was a $100 repeater to put in my window for me to have free internet service. I encourage everyone who just needs to check email, read news, read blogs, and check craigslist to give Metrofi a chance.

The sevice is comparatively slow... I have certainly had to curtail my internet habits after giving up my DSL line in favor of a $0/month internet service. However, there is so much to experience online which is text based and lo-fi. I am not disputing the power of Youtube and similar video services, but as a long-time internet user, I am concerned to see so much attention paid to the importance of delivering video.

TV, our last foray into video as a society, has devolved into a vast wasteland of drivel. With Digital TV broadcasts and Netflix, we need not be so concerned about whether or not our internet can handle video. Instead, we should be expanding the existing Wifi network and teaching people how to use it and taking away annoying Sideguides and Interstitial ads in order to make it more appealing. I admit that it is not perfect, but it is free.

The current trend of prioritizing video over text as the internet's preferred medium of information transfer is lamentable. I remember my first days on the internet when I went to college: all these words and links and pages! Now when a friend gets internet access it seems like it is all about Youtube. Do I sound old-fashioned? I believe that the benefits of universal information can be extended into the realm of video, but they are most profound and subversive as simple text and html files. The benefits of the internet described by David Olsen: like health, employment, education, community; all of these are served by a much smaller pipe than was discussed on this program.

A very small pipe can carry a poem. I guess I think we need more poems than videos gracing our computer screens.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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