"The Book of Dead Philosophers"

How Bacon and others met their end, according to Simon Critchley.

"An Animal's Place"

An excerpt from the Michael Pollan article noted in class yesterday, at Jill's prompting (and see his Omnivore's Dilemma).

...But before you swear off meat entirely, let me describe a very different sort of animal farm. It is typical of nothing, and yet its very existence puts the whole moral question of animal agriculture in a different light. Polyface Farm occupies 550 acres of rolling grassland and forest in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Here, Joel Salatin and his family raise six different food animals -- cattle, pigs, chickens, rabbits, turkeys and sheep -- in an intricate dance of symbiosis designed to allow each species, in Salatin's words, ''to fully express its physiological distinctiveness.''

What this means in practice is that Salatin's chickens live like chickens; his cows, like cows; pigs, pigs. As in nature, where birds tend to follow herbivores, once Salatin's cows have finished grazing a pasture, he moves them out and tows in his ''eggmobile,'' a portable chicken coop that houses several hundred laying hens -- roughly the natural size of a flock. The hens fan out over the pasture, eating the short grass and picking insect larvae out of the cowpats -- all the while spreading the cow manure and eliminating the farm's parasite problem. A diet of grubs and grass makes for exceptionally tasty eggs and contented chickens, and their nitrogenous manure feeds the pasture. A few weeks later, the chickens move out, and the sheep come in, dining on the lush new growth, as well as on the weed species (nettles, nightshade) that the cattle and chickens won't touch.

Meanwhile, the pigs are in the barn turning the compost. All winter long, while the cattle were indoors, Salatin layered their manure with straw, wood chips -- and corn. By March, this steaming compost layer cake stands three feet high, and the pigs, whose powerful snouts can sniff out and retrieve the fermented corn at the bottom, get to spend a few happy weeks rooting through the pile, aerating it as they work. All you can see of these pigs, intently nosing out the tasty alcoholic morsels, are their upturned pink hams and corkscrew tails churning the air. The finished compost will go to feed the grass; the grass, the cattle; the cattle, the chickens; and eventually all of these animals will feed us.

I thought a lot about vegetarianism and animal rights during the day I spent on Joel Salatin's extraordinary farm. So much of what I'd read, so much of what I'd accepted, looked very different from here. To many animal rightists, even Polyface Farm is a death camp. But to look at these animals is to see this for the sentimental conceit it is. In the same way that we can probably recognize animal suffering when we see it, animal happiness is unmistakable, too, and here I was seeing it in abundance.

For any animal, happiness seems to consist in the opportunity to express its creaturely character -- its essential pigness or wolfness or chickenness. Aristotle speaks of each creature's ''characteristic form of life.'' For domesticated species, the good life, if we can call it that, cannot be achieved apart from humans -- apart from our farms and, therefore, our meat eating. This, it seems to me, is where animal rightists betray a profound ignorance about the workings of nature. To think of domestication as a form of enslavement or even exploitation is to misconstrue the whole relationship, to project a human idea of power onto what is, in fact, an instance of mutualism between species. Domestication is an evolutionary, rather than a political, development. It is certainly not a regime humans imposed on animals some 10,000 years ago.
Rather, domestication happened when a small handful of especially opportunistic species discovered through Darwinian trial and error that they were more likely to survive and prosper in an alliance with humans than on their own. Humans provided the animals with food and protection, in exchange for which the animals provided the humans their milk and eggs and -- yes -- their flesh. Both parties were transformed by the relationship: animals grew tame and lost their ability to fend for themselves (evolution tends to edit out unneeded traits), and the humans gave up their hunter-gatherer ways for the settled life of agriculturists. (Humans changed biologically, too, evolving such new traits as a tolerance for lactose as adults.)

From the animals' point of view, the bargain with humanity has been a great success, at least until our own time. Cows, pigs, dogs, cats and chickens have thrived, while their wild ancestors have languished. (There are 10,000 wolves in North America, 50,000,000 dogs.) Nor does their loss of autonomy seem to trouble these creatures. It is wrong, the rightists say, to treat animals as ''means'' rather than ''ends,'' yet the happiness of a working animal like the dog consists precisely in serving as a ''means.'' Liberation is the last thing such a creature wants. To say of one of Joel Salatin's caged chickens that ''the life of freedom is to be preferred'' betrays an ignorance about chicken preferences -- which on this farm are heavily focused on not getting their heads bitten off by weasels... (continues)

I have a recommendation for another book we could read as a class! It's called "Folks, this ain't normal" by Joel Salatin. The book is based mostly on his own personal experiences as a sustainable farmer and he discusses how far removed we are from the simple joys of life. Mr. Salatin seems like a vision of the past when it comes to farming, but upon closer look it is clear how modern and practical his methods of sustainable farming are. This book, like many environmentally based books, is a call to action that is practical and ingenious. Beyond all of that, he writes in a familiar tone and, from what I read, could easily be a farmer in the middle Tennessee area! (It might just be me, though, as I'm from small town full of farmers and agrarians.) This is the kind of environmentally and experimentally based book that any reader could really absorb, it feels almost as if you're having a conversation with the author! (Again, my opinion)
-Jilli


Below is the Goodreads review of "Folks, this ain't normal"

From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Salatin has many thoughts on what normal is and shares practical and philosophical ideas for changing our lives in small ways that have big impact.

Salatin, hailed by the New York Times as "Virginia's most multifaceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson [and] the high priest of the pasture" and profiled in the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. and the bestselling bookThe Omnivore's Dilemma, understands what food should be: Wholesome, seasonal, raised naturally, procured locally, prepared lovingly, and eaten with a profound reverence for the circle of life. And his message doesn't stop there. From child-rearing, to creating quality family time, to respecting the environment, Salatin writes with a wicked sense of humor and true storyteller's knack for the revealing anecdote. 

Salatin's crucial message and distinctive voice--practical, provocative, scientific, and down-home philosophical in equal measure--make FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL a must-read book.

A Discussion Question

• Is it appropriate to vilify James Watt for inventing the steam engine? Can we blame him somewhat for the environmental problems of today?

Quiz Questions

1. Who was Glenn Albrecht?

2. What was "the Pacific Solution"?

3. Definition of extractivism?

4. What does Klein say is one of the main reasons climate change is so frighting?

5. Jean-Paul Sarte called fossil fuels what?

DQ; Henry David Thoreau's beliefs about the earth. pg. 184

DQs Sept 8

1.          How did you feel when you read about the conditions of the refugees that are being detained at Nauru. What can you do?  And what will you do? 

        http://www.australia.gov.au/

World Bank and Climate Change

In the Introduction, Naomi Klein mention on page 12, "In a 2012 report, the World Bank laid out the gamble implied by that target." She was referring to the 2-degrees Celcius one.

Here is a good link to the World Bank where you can get lots of updated information.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange

Costa Rica Powered by 100% Renewable Energy for 76 Days

http://www.sciencealert.com/costa-rica-has-been-running-on-100-renewable-energy-for-2-months-straight

I noticed this article while browsing Reddit, and its an interesting read. Of course the article mentions that Costa Rica is a vastly different scenario than the United States, but it's still inspiring.

Rapid changes in climate and politics

Don Enss

Being a writer in today’s fast moving world is a real challenge. Some of what you write today may be out of date by tomorrow, which makes blogs like Dr. Oliver’s and social media more relevant than books when we’re discussing critical issues.

For example, since Naomi Klein’s book was published in 2014, there have been some rapid changes in both the climate and in politics. On page 179, she spoke of Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff reducing its extreme poverty rate by 65 percent. She has since been impeached and removed from office last month, August 2016. She mentioned Hugo Chavez and Venezuela slashing the percentage of the population living in extreme poverty by more than half. He died in 2013, and according to a June 22, 2016 article in the Guardian, it “is suffering the worst economic crisis in its history. Ordinary people in the oil-rich country are regularly going without food. Three-quarter empty supermarkets are being ransacked by angry, hungry mobs. The government has declared a state of emergency, food is now being transported under armed guard, and basic necessities are being rationed. People have to queue for hours and sometimes overnight on their assigned days to receive staples like rice and cooking oil.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/22/venezuela-economic-crisis-guardian-briefing

On the plus side, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador was elected to an unprecedented third term in 2013, which already violates their Constitution but he has above 50% approval rating, so I guess they were willing to overlook that. It will be interesting to see what happens in 2017 when they have their next presidential election.

The scary side of this is, what has happened to our environment since she published her book?

Quiz Sep8

Ch5

1. What's the dominant conceptual model used by today's decision makers?

2. How does our culture rationalize drawing down finite resources without worrying about tomorrow?

3. Who's the patron saint of extractivism, and what's the ironic legend of his death?

4. Who calls coal a "natural sponge"?

5. What's the antithesis of extractivism?

6. Who advocated a "land ethic"?

DQ

• What's the moral of the Nauru story? Is our "disposable" culture of "disavowal" on the same track?
• Do you ever suffer local or global "solastalgia"? 165
• Is it entirely delusional to hope we'll "invent our way of " the climate crisis? 166
• What's good about Francis Bacon's worldview? 170f.  Is there an ecologically-defensible way to "dominate" nature, without damaging our relation to it?
• If "Mother Nature bats last," can we at least hope for extra innings? 174 
• What would you say to Thoreau and Bacon, if you could? 184
• Was "Ding" Darling right about Leopold's land ethic? 185
• Was Rachel Carson right about the arrogance of "control"?
• Was the Club of Rome right about the limits to growth?
• Your DQs please

Obama’s View of His Legacy? Fighting Climate Change

In an interview with The Times, President Obama said his efforts to slow global warming would be more important than anything he’s done about health care, race or the economy... (continues)
==
Obama the Conservationist
Despite Congress’s opposition, he has put more acreage under protection than any other President.

By Elizabeth Kolbert

In the spring of 1903, while visiting Yosemite, President Theodore Roosevelt slipped his Secret Service detail to go camping with John Muir. The first night, the President, the naturalist, and two park rangers camped out by a grove of sequoia; the second, in a hollow at Glacier Point. Roosevelt emerged from the woods to learn that an elaborate banquet had been planned for him, complete with fireworks. He stayed long enough for a glass of champagne, then announced that he was skipping the rest of the festivities. He and Muir spent a third night camping in the shadow of El Capitan.

The only record of what passed between Roosevelt and Muir during their trip comes from one of the rangers, Charles Leidig. According to Leidig, among the topics the two discussed were: lion hunting; Muir’s theory—controversial at the time—that Yosemite had been shaped by glaciers; the importance of forest conservation; and the need for more national parks. Roosevelt and Muir had some difficulty communicating, Leidig observed, “because both men wanted to do the talking.” Nevertheless, their journey has been described as the most consequential camping trip in American history. Roosevelt went on to create eighteen national monuments, five national parks, and a hundred and fifty national forests. All told, he conserved some two hundred and thirty million acres—an area larger than Texas.

This past spring, President Obama visited Yosemite. Instead of camping, he stayed at the park’s fanciest hotel, and, instead of ditching his Secret Service detail, he was accompanied on his hike by snipers posted strategically on the rocks. Still, he, too, seems to have been moved by the spirit of John Muir... (continues)

Sept 8 Ch 5 ?s – This Changes Everything.

Don Enss

Chapter 5:

1.      How did Australian philosopher, Glenn Albrecht, describe the term “solastalgia?”

2.      What makes carbon pollution such a stubborn problem?

3.      What is the difference between extractivism and stewardship?

4.      What two factors tipped the balance in favor of the steam engine over water wheels?

5.      What do authoritarian socialism and capitalism share?

6.      How did Rachel Carson describe the “control of nature?”

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/our-oceans-have-saved-the-world-from-warming-an-insane-36c-in-the-past-century/

This is an article explaining just how important the oceans are.

SolutionsProjectforTennessee

Michael's post is very insightful. He hadn't published it yet, but I was able to access the site and click on Tennessee and this is quite revealing.

http://thesolutionsproject.org/infographic/#tn

Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power.

I found this article about Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power, Part I: Technologies, energy resources, quantities and areas of infrastructure, and materials, by Mark Z. Jacobson a,n , Mark A. Delucchi. This article shows how Climate change, pollution, and energy insecurity are among the greatest problems of our time. Addressing them requires major changes in our energy infrastructure. Also they discuss and analyze the feasibility of providing worldwide energy for all purposes (electric power, transportation, heating/cooling, etc.) from wind, water, and sunlight (WWS). Also they estimate that 3,800,000 5 MW wind turbines, 49,000 300 MW concentrated solar plants, 40,000 300 MW solar PV power plants, 1.7 billion 3 kW rooftop PV systems, 5350 100 MW geothermal power plants, 270 new 1300 MW hydroelectric power plants, 720,000 0.75 MW wave devices, and 490,000 1 MW tidal turbines can power a 2030 WWS world that uses electricity and electrolytic hydrogen for all purposes. Such a WWS infrastructure reduces world power demand by 30% and requires only 0.41% and 0.59% more of the world’s land for footprint and spacing, respectively.

https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/JDEnPolicyPt1.pdf 

THE WORLD CAN TRANSITION TO 100% CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY

:Here's a link to check out the solutions project. It maps out how to get t %100 renewable, stat by state. 

http://thesolutionsproject.org/

It shows how the world can transition to %100 clean and renewable energy.

Chapter 4 QQ's Deonte J.

1. What are the three huge economic engines? Pg 121

2. The group of workers took over their "shuttered auto parts plant and turned it into a thriving" what? Pg 123

3. The car industry lost nearly ______ manufactoring jobs between 2008 and 2014? Pg. 124

4. What country has one of the fastest transitions in the world to renewable energy? Pg. 131

5. What is a "less understood" practice in the field of agriculture and climate change? Pg 134

6. About ___% of the worlds power is supplied by nuclear energy. Pg 137

What is happening in Nauru?

Klein discuss at length the rise and fall of Nauru.  In case you were curious about what is happening there now and this is especially troubling coming about the behavior of a U.S. ally and a democracy.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/06/mp-andrew-wilkie-says-nauru-visa-denial-proves-australia-has-much-to-hide

Soaring Ocean Temperature

Here's a link to an article in the Guardian about Soaring Ocean Temperature. It ties in with Klein's concerns.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/05/soaring-ocean-temperature-is-greatest-hidden-challenge-of-our-generation?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+USA+-+morning+briefing+2016&utm_term=189200&subid=19211158&CMP=ema_a-morning-briefing_b-morning-briefing_c-US_d-1

Some quiz questions:

1) When was the peak of the world crisis?
2) Roughly half of Germany's renewable energy are in the hands of who, and how many jobs have been created?
3)What is agroecolgy?
4)The largest act of civil disobedience in the history of North America was titled what?

Dear Future Generations

This video imagines what an apology to future generations would look like if we don't become more environmentally conscious. The video is pretty dramatic and a little artsy-fartsy, but I think it evokes an emotional connection to the environmental damage we're doing as a society. 

-Jilli

"I'm sorry our footprint became a sinkhole"