Playing God

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From Father to Son, Last Words to Live By

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Europe Turns Back to Coal, Raising Climate Fears

Today must be "Thanks to Coal" Day.

I read this article and it lead me to a whole list of reports in the past year by New York Times about the coal and energy crisis in various parts of the world.

A whole afternoon didn't allow me to finish digesting (or rather indigesting) the harrowing accounts of people who live practically next to coal-powered plants or mines.

The prospect of even more coal-induced carbon emissions into the fragile atmosphere by more new coal-powered plants in various parts of Europe and Asia left a charcoal taste in my mouth.

What are these nations thinking? To turn back to coal in the face of rising oil prices just to keep up with the high consumption of electricity is a short-sighted "solution" put mildly. Its in fact more like burning off the bridge that was precariously linking us back to environmental balance. Whatever happened to reviewing our consumption levels? Population control? Renewable sources of power such as wind, water and sunlight??

Apparently, the majority vote against the erection of a new coal-fired plant by the residents in context fell on deaf ears. Like what the StoryofStuff was saying, the government has become the feet-kisser of corporations with greater economic say than themselves.

What a great example to the Asian siblings.

The Earth is like the Human Body, and Water, like the Blood in its Veins

A man at the site of what used to be a fertile farmland. The rift was one of the many created by over-mining of coal in Shanxi, China.

The earth there is sinking with underground coal mining from all sides; the once pristine river had run dry, and the wells rendered useless.

The villagers found themselves at high risk of being buried alive by the mounting coal waste (reportedly 50 stories high) if they did not abandon their homes soon.

This report was made in Jun 2006. I wonder what their fate had become...

Story of Stuff.com

If you've ever wondered about where all stuff comes from and goes to, this is as simple and straightforward answer as you can get. A no-brainer even for kids.

So what if it's an american setting set for an american audience, i'm sure it's not too difficult to extrapolate the idea to other places in the world. Many are guilty in varying degrees, but how many actually raise up their hands like that?

It's common to have polar voices between government and its people. But trust American citizens to rally support among themselves in classical American fashion: humorous, simplistic, and most of all, positivity.

I'm usually critical of complex issues that get watered-down and twisted for various propaganda - environmental concerns being the most recent exploitation - 'educating' the public just enough for their purposes, and the passive public in turn taking them at face value.

But the endeavor this time is truly refreshing; a complete picture simplified without frills. In such a complex and obscured world today, perhaps starting off with this formula lets people have something to hang on to.

USA has been accused of many things: giant consumer, polluter, a super power that takes more from the earth and its counterparts than it gives. But these are the works of the bad spirits. There are shining good ones out there using their resources to save the world, and advocate hope and wisdom where others are hesitant to make.

Now, back to the real question:
where's all this leading to? We're all going to die anyway, and the earth is going to explode eventually, so what's the point? might as well enjoy while we can?

Human race is just another footprint on the face of the earth whilst it lives out its "infinity". Unlike any other species, we evolved with enough intelligence to understand most of the clockworks. To ignore our mis-manipulations of it is to demean ourselves to the levels of ostriches with buried heads.

If life is about journey, i wish likewise our existence be a meaningful one.
A show of an everlasting human spirit, not a deteriorating one.

Anyway, watch the video.
A must-see.

"The Sustainable Man" DIY

Little things that make my day

Captain Planet's bag of tricks

"I guess we can call this nonviolent chemical warfare," - Capt. Paul Watson

This article reminded me of the "Captain Planet" cartoon series i used to watch as a child, where a blue-skinned n "green" version of superman would use his super powers to save the day, and of course, the planet from polluting baddies.

It's not just amusing but refreshing to read about the tactics these anti-whale hunt activists resorted to in trying to stop the whale-hunting ships. (They threw rotten butter to stink up the ship and soap-like chemicals to make people slip on the deck. U may laugh, but it worked.)

When it comes to good heros, they are forced to invent offensive strategies that are harmful to the enemies YET gentle to the planet. That's definitely more brain-work than baddies have to do.

Hmm. So i guess this concludes one thing: The bad guys in the cartoons are really as stupid as they looked.

Faces of Spain

I did an architectural travel course to Spain last winter. Same golden opportunity offered by the school to trot around a country steeped in its own unique blend of history and culture as did my previous journey to India.

Armed with my own camera this time, I zealously took 3000 photos in 3 weeks, covering mostly architectural settings and the lively members of this expedition.

Upon returning, I faithfully filtered out 1000 of those that documented our journey to share among my tour mates, and condensed them further to just under 180 for the general public for an overall impression of Spain.

One friend responded in return:

"it seems most all your pictures are for coffee table book or some architecture magazine. they are cold. what i mean by raw reality is nature in pure form, not contrived, not planned. people are from nature. for example, are there any beggars or prostitutes in your pictures. is there anyone sleeping under bridge or on cardboard. the children seem mostly from distance so can't really "see" what they are thinking or who they are, and it seem again more about color and cold things like capturing contrast. touristy pictures are boring. what is thrilling (to me) is what's really going on in life, what's happening below the facade. if i remember correctly, kinda like the picture(s) you took of/with the children that came running up to you in the street, that was scratching the surface or raw, spontaneous, pure. that is moving in the direction. to have these chance to see life like this, and capture these moments, requires change in your thinking. need to delve into places that maybe you are afraid to go, then can start to see, and have chance to capture. sometimes many times it's so amazing and you become so lost in moment that you don't even think to take picture. that to me is beauty."

Thanks to him, i went back and looked through my 3000 pics again, recalling my endeavors to capture not picturesque Spanish settings but the 'raw' response of the people in it - stripped-down, spontaneous, in-the-face moments of real people in real but indiscriminate situations, almost as if the images were taken inadvertently by a passing bee...



I've compiled these 45 photos to re-introduce my own version of Spain, liking them for their instinctive Iberian identity and their power to narrate hidden stories amidst their ordinariness.

My quest was more limited than in India though. Cos in Europe, it's wise to be discreet.