A  couple of weeks ago my friend Megan sent me a pair of articles  with a sticky note attached:  "Compare this world view ... with this."

Both articles hailed from Tacoma, Washington's The News Tribune, Monday, June 3 2002.  The first was the front page headline article proclaiming:

The article went on to describe the climate report the U. S. has sent to the United Nations detailing the "specific and far-reaching effects that is says that global warming--caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels--will inflict on the American environment".  The potential effects range from more heat waves to the disappearance of Rocky Mountain meadows and coastal marshes.    Instead of deciding to do something to stop these effects, the Bush Administration recommends adapting to inevitable changes.  The document concludes: "no matter what is done to cut emissions in the future, nothing can be done about the consequences of several decades' worth of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases already in the atmosphere".

In other words, not only can nothing be done to counteract the damage already caused by our use of fossil fuels, but we're not going to do anything to prevent the problem from worsening.  The United States, which is responsible for one-fifth of the fossil fuel emissions that are affecting the entire planet, plans to continue unchanged on its current track.   Rocky Mountain meadows,  coastal marshes, and the rest of the world bedamned.  Our own convenience and the well-being of our oil & coal industry is far more important.

The second article was this one:

This article detailed the return of a student to his tiny home village of Enoosaen, in Kenya.  The Masai people of this village , had no concept of skyscrapers, and had themselves only recently received electricity, and had not heard about the terrorist attack of 9/11.  The student told stories of the event, and the villagers were so stunned and grieved by what they heard that they wanted to do something to help the American people.   They decided to give 14 cows to us, which they blessed in solemn ceremony and handed over to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.   The reporter writes: "There are three cherished things that a Masai can offer as a gift--a child, a plot of land, and a cow, which is far more than a source of meat and milk to a Masai".

Reading these two articles I am awed by the Masai gift--that a tiny village a world away can be so moved by our pain that they would give freely and generously of themselves.  I am humbled by this.  Our huge mighty country can finally admit that, in essence, we humans are inflicting a terrorist attack on the planet, via our intense use of fossil fuels, yet unlike the Masai village we cannot empathise.  We are not grieved enough to offer a meaningful gift to our fellow global villagers.

I look at America's version of the 'sacred cow' -- our cars.  Could my own family give them up?   Unfortunately the public transportation on the island is not extensive enough to serve our needs (at the very least to get into town).  My husband owns an electric car, and does use it get about on the island--however, it is a single seater: not at all a family car!  I browse the web for pedal carts/ quadricycles, so that perhaps the girls and I can bike.  Reluctantly, I conclude that our island is a bit too hilly for strictly pedal-driven quadricycles to work for us.  I toy again with my older daughter's dream of owning a horse and cart.  A great idea,  and possible, but one still several years down the road.  Right now, we can barely get it together to feed our cat.  I browse the web for alternative-powered cars.  I'm looking for an electric four-seater that has a range of at least 50 miles and a speed up to at least 40 mph.  I learn that Ford has such a beast that they sell in Europe (but not here!).   Supposedly it will be available in the U.S. this year.  Hm.

At least our main-use car is a very humble 'cow', a Geo Metro with great mpg (50 miles per gallon).   I think we'll still aim for that horse and cart (the manure would be great compost for our garden).  We'll also watch for alternative-powered cars as they become available in the U.S.  I am heartened that the technology does exist, now, and that even the 'big' car manufacturers can and do make these vehicles--someplace!  Perhaps its time  to attempt letter writing: to the folks in the auto industry urging them to make and sell sustainably-powered vehicles in this country.  The least we Americans can do is trade our fossil fuel-guzzling & atmosphere polluting 'cows' for far more benign beasts.  We just need to encourage makers to raise them--and we need to support the independents who  are doing so already.

Links to related articles:

How to Thank Kenya for 9/11 Cows
... Kenya. Kent plans to get the messages translated and then find someone
who can take and read them to the Masai who donated the cows. ...
www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,52984,00.html - 28k - Cached - Similar pages
 

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Special report: global ...
... It's official, global warming does exist, says Bush June 4: In an extraordinarily
secretive manoeuvre, the Bush administration has subtly altered its position ...
www.guardian.co.uk/globalwarming/0,7368,395145,00.html - 62k - 1 Jul 2002 - Cached - Similar pages
 

washingtonpost.com: Global Warming
... US Not Seeking New Global Warming Talks: Bush Unlikely to Offer Alternative
to Pact of 178 Nations This Year, Whitman Says (Post, July 27, 2001). ...
Description: Online articles from the Washington Post.
Category: Science > Environment > Global Change > News and Media
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/ specials/science/climatechange/ - Similar pages

Global Warming
... Mon 1 Jul 2002. Let's push Bush on warming International Herald Tribune ... National
Parks Endangered by Global Warming, Report Says Hoovers 3:42pm | Jun. ...
www.globalwarm.com/ - 46k - 1 Jul 2002 - Cached - Similar pages
 
 

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