Ever since 2011 started animals have been dying, en masse, all over the place. We’ve been told it’s fairly common and all the commotion is media hype, but that doesn’t really sit right. I mean, first it was 1,000 birds in Arkansas, thenthe fishstarted dying, then more birds and now crabs. Now, I’m not saying this is some kind of biblical end of days kind of thing, although I might have already, but it’s a cause for concern I think, no?
There’s a song by The Police called “Canary In a Coalmine” and it’s kind of about the idea that this person is a little, say, over cautious.
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live you life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line
It’s a great song, and one of the things I love most about it is that the person it’s about is pretty ambiguous. It’s not an obvious jab at a girl that won’t let Sting make out with her, or some other kind of “stop being square” accusation. It’s a pretty gender neutral song that’s just saying “stop being so timid, live more.”
Of course, the thing about a Canary in a Coalmine, as the saying goes, is that they live short, but meaningful lives. They’re the first signs of danger, which I think is something we can acknowledge – without getting too far into conspiracy theories – could be scaled upwards. Animals with more delicate respiratory systems, animals like birds and fish, will be affected by upcoming dangers before more complicated animals like say … mammals.
Even a pretty incredible video like this, of a swarm of birds above the Eaton’s Centre in Toronto, is uncomfortably eerie. If it weren’t for the morbid news of that past week it would be beautiful, but the movements feel anxious and desperate now. Like they’re being closed in.
I know! Like a swarm of fucking locusts! All I’m saying is, even as a non-believer, I still kind of hope this is the end of days. Could you imagine? It’s it’s all true?! And really, is bird dropping from the sky in enormous numbers and fish floating to the surface by the millions not something you’d expect to read in the bible? I just want to know what happens next. When the mammals start dying, I’m going to church.
Update #1 01/07/11 10:30am: Behold, a google map to help keep track of the carnage:
Update #2 01/07/11 3:06pm:So science blogger and pretty smart lady Maggie Koerth-Bakerisn’t buying any of it, and you know what? she’s probably right. I trust her sensibilities more than my own. There is no birdpocaypse, just some dead birds, and there will probably be more which we may or may not hear about.
To be filed under: Things I never knew existed. The above image is the flower of none other than the Marshmallow plant. The “shrubby herb” is native to Africa and is often used for its medicinal properties. Who knew?
First off: Pronounciation. Personally, I have trouble even reading the word “Eyjafjallajökull” much less saying it. This seemingly random collection of letters is actually a literary ménage à trois, combining the Icelandic words for island(eyja), mountain(fjalla), and glacier(jökull). The name is actually representative of the glacier above the volcano, not the volcano itself, which is creatively and simply titled Eyjafjalla.
To assist in this very difficult pronounciation, here is a quick Youtube lesson, complete with catchy folksong. [via boingboing]
On this, April 22nd, 2010, Earth Day turns 40 and while the very best way to celebrate earth day is probably to watch the David Attenborough narrated DVD masterpiece on an organic solar powered television, the next best is probably to click on links about interesting earth related things. Voila:
1. First, this crazy story about Mt. Toba, a volcano that used to exist in Northern Sumatra until it exploded some 78,000 years ago. Yes, that’s right–exploded! All that is left now is an enormous lake. Mt. Toba didn’t just erupt when it went off, it went out with a very literal bang and nearly caused the extinction of the human race, barely before it began. [via eyeweekly.com]
2. About a year or so ago I went to see Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World over at the revue. It was an absolute awe inspiring experience and immediately made Antarctica a desirable destination. It was a perfect mix of desolate beauty and breathtaking humanity, a place where society’s brilliant outcasts congregate in their search for meaning.
That interest was sparked anew with Maggie Koerth-Baker’s feature on Boing Boing about the continent. While much less epic than Herzog’s masterpiece, it’s full of lush photography and features one of the best/most unique layouts I’ve come across.
3. Over at Gawker they’re celebrating the day with a photo gallery as well, the theme: places in the world that have yet to be fucked up by incessant human greed. Lovely.
4. The nexus of Earth Day operations, earthday.org, is asking the public to submit their own “acts of green.” So far they’re collected over 31 billion vows from people to make small changes in their lives for the benefit of the planet. I like this. I much prefer the promotion of ongoing “green” activities and real personal change than initiatives like Earth Hour that, in a way, promote the attitude that “if you turn out your lights for one hour, you’re doing your part to save the planet.” Environmentalism is about being conscious of your behaviour all the time, not just an hour a year. So kudos to Earth Day for encouraging ongoing environmentalism.
One of my favourite Super Bowl stories this year, besides of course the Mancrunch campaign, was Pepsi. Pepsi decided to forgo advertising during the big game. Instead, Pepsi launched the refresh project.
Rather than spending money on a Super Bowl ad, Pepsi will launch the Pepsi Refresh Project on January 13, 2010. At that time, users can submit their ideas to Pepsi for ways to refresh their communities, making the world a better place.
Voting will begin on February 1, 2010, and the projects that get the most votes will be funded by Pepsi. Pepsi expects to spend $20 million to fund thousands of projects.
And it’s working, the website is full of projects of various sizes being pitched by real people looking to make a difference in their world. It’s an experiment I really hope proves viable from both a philanthropic standpoint as a marketing/financial standpoint. Just imagine the possibilities!
The environmental movement has been gaining steam for some years now, forcing responsible citizens to re-examine all aspects of their lives, but now, truly responsible citizens must also re-examine their behaviour in death as well.
The Natural Burial Co-operative is a Guelph based organization promoting a greener afterlife. Actually, your afterlife is still your own should you choose to have one, the Natural Burial Co-operative simply asks that you dispose of your mortal shell more responsibly.
